L89.819 — Pressure ulcer of head, unspecified stage
Is L89.819 billable?
Yes, but L89.819 is an unspecified code. L89.819 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, L89.819 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting L89.819 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
L89.819 at a glance
| Code | L89.819 |
|---|---|
| Description | Pressure ulcer of head, unspecified stage |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does L89.819 group to?
L89.819 sits in MDC 09 and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 573Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis with MCCsurgical
- 574Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis with CCsurgical
- 575Skin Graft for Skin Ulcer or Cellulitis without CC/MCCsurgical
How is L89.819 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under L89.81, the nearest indexed parent of L89.819. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › face
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › head
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › stage 1 › face
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › stage 1 › head
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › stage 2 › face
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › stage 2 › head
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › stage 3 › face
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › pressure › stage 3 › head
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to L89.819.
- Healing pressure ulcer of head NOS
- Healing pressure ulcer of head, unspecified stage
Code first — inherited from L89
The underlying condition below must be sequenced before L89.819. L89.819 describes a manifestation and cannot be the principal or first-listed diagnosis.
- any associated gangrene (I96)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 12
The conditions below are not part of L89.819, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L89.819 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- lipomelanotic reticulosis (I89.8)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
- systemic connective tissue disorders (M30-M36)
- viral warts (B07.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from L89
The conditions below are not part of L89.819, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L89.819 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has L89.819 existed?
L89.819 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.