M19.049 — Primary osteoarthritis, unspecified hand
Is M19.049 billable?
Yes, but M19.049 is an unspecified code. M19.049 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, M19.049 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 M19.049 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
More specific alternatives
M19.049 at a glance
| Code | M19.049 |
|---|---|
| Description | Primary osteoarthritis, unspecified hand |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does M19.049 group to?
M19.049 sits in MDC 08 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 553Bone Diseases and Arthropathies with MCCmedical
- 554Bone Diseases and Arthropathies without MCCmedical
How is M19.049 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under M19.04, the nearest indexed parent of M19.049. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Osteoarthritis › hand joint
- Osteoarthritis › hand joint › primary
- Osteoarthritis › primary › hand joint
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from M19
The conditions below can never be reported together with M19.049 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- polyarthritis (M15.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13
The conditions below are not part of M19.049, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M19.049 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from M15-M19
The conditions below are not part of M19.049, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M19.049 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- osteoarthritis of spine (M47.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from M19
The conditions below are not part of M19.049, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M19.049 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from M19.04
The conditions below are not part of M19.049, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M19.049 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has M19.049 existed?
M19.049 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.