M47.019 — Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, site unspecified

BillableUnspecifiedCC

Is M47.019 billable?

Yes, but M47.019 will trip a Medicare edit. M47.019 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, CMS lists M47.019 under Medicare Code Editor edit 20, “Unspecified code” — meaning a code specifying laterality (right, left or bilateral) exists in the same family. On an inpatient claim this triggers the edit, because CMS holds that there are very limited circumstances in which laterality cannot be documented.

More specific alternatives

M47.019 at a glance

Code	M47.019
Description	Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, site unspecified
Billable	Yes
Code set	ICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encounters	October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

What Medicare edits apply to M47.019?

The Medicare Code Editor screens inpatient claims before they are grouped. These edits name M47.019 directly.

Unspecified — a laterality-specific code exists — MCE edit 20

A code specifying laterality (right, left or bilateral) exists in the same family. CMS holds that there are very limited circumstances in which laterality cannot be documented.

Which MS-DRGs does M47.019 group to?

M47.019 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.

551Medical Back Problems with MCCmedical
552Medical Back Problems without MCCmedical

As a secondary diagnosis, M47.019 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.

How is M47.019 listed in the Alphabetic Index?

These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to M47.019. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.

Syndrome › anterior › spinal artery › compression

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13

The conditions below are not part of M47.019, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M47.019 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)

How long has M47.019 existed?

M47.019 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.