L97.521 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of left foot limited to breakdown of skin

Billable

Is L97.521 billable?

Yes — L97.521 is billable for FY2027. L97.521 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. L97.521 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

L97.521 at a glance

Code	L97.521
Description	Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of left foot limited to breakdown of skin
Billable	Yes
Code set	ICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encounters	October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Which MS-DRGs does L97.521 group to?

L97.521 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 L97.521 listed in the Alphabetic Index?

These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to L97.521. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.

Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › lower limb › foot specified NEC › left › with › skin breakdown only
Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › lower limb › toe › left › with › skin breakdown only

Code first — inherited from L97

The underlying condition below must be sequenced before L97.521. L97.521 describes a manifestation and cannot be the principal or first-listed diagnosis.

any associated underlying condition, such as:
any associated gangrene (I96)
atherosclerosis of the lower extremities (I70.23-, I70.24-, I70.33-, I70.34-, I70.43-, I70.44-, I70.53-, I70.54-, I70.63-, I70.64-, I70.73-, I70.74-)
chronic venous hypertension (I87.31-, I87.33-)
diabetic ulcers (E08.621, E08.622, E09.621, E09.622, E10.621, E10.622, E11.621, E11.622, E13.621, E13.622)
postphlebitic syndrome (I87.01-, I87.03-)
postthrombotic syndrome (I87.01-, I87.03-)
varicose ulcer (I83.0-, I83.2-)

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 12

The conditions below are not part of L97.521, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L97.521 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 L97

The conditions below are not part of L97.521, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L97.521 and the excluded code may both be reported.

pressure ulcer (pressure area) (L89.-)
skin infections (L00-L08)
specific infections classified to A00-B99

How long has L97.521 existed?

L97.521 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.