M79.609 — Pain in unspecified limb
Is M79.609 billable?
Yes, but M79.609 is an unspecified code. M79.609 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, M79.609 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 M79.609 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
More specific alternatives
M79.609 at a glance
| Code | M79.609 |
|---|---|
| Description | Pain in unspecified limb |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does M79.609 group to?
M79.609 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.
- 555Signs and Symptoms of Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue with MCCmedical
- 556Signs and Symptoms of Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue without MCCmedical
How is M79.609 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to M79.609. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Pain › limb (s)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to M79.609.
- Pain in limb NOS
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from M79
The conditions below can never be reported together with M79.609 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13
The conditions below are not part of M79.609, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M79.609 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 M79.6
The conditions below are not part of M79.609, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M79.609 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- pain in joint (M25.5-)
How long has M79.609 existed?
M79.609 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.