L97.918 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of right lower leg with other specified severity

BillableUnspecifiedCC

Is L97.918 billable?

Yes, but L97.918 is an unspecified code. L97.918 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, L97.918 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 L97.918 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.

More specific alternatives

L97.918 at a glance

Code	L97.918
Description	Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of right lower leg with other specified severity
Billable	Yes
Code set	ICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encounters	October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Which MS-DRGs does L97.918 group to?

L97.918 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

As a secondary diagnosis, L97.918 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.

How is L97.918 listed in the Alphabetic Index?

These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to L97.918. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.

Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › lower limb › right › with › specified severity NEC
Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › lower limb › lower leg NOS › right › with › specified severity NEC

Code first — inherited from L97

The underlying condition below must be sequenced before L97.918. L97.918 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 L97.918, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L97.918 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 L97.918, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, L97.918 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 L97.918 existed?

L97.918 first appears in FY2018 (FY2017 is not available, so it may have appeared then).

Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.