ICDcodes.org
FY2027

M79.9 — Soft tissue disorder, unspecified

BillableUnspecified

Is M79.9 billable?

Yes, but M79.9 is an unspecified code. M79.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, M79.9 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 M79.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.

M79.9 at a glance

CodeM79.9
DescriptionSoft tissue disorder, unspecified
BillableYes
Code setICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encountersOctober 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Which MS-DRGs does M79.9 group to?

M79.9 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 M79.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?

These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to M79.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.

  • Disorder › soft tissue (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › ankle (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › foot (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › forearm (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › hand (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › lower leg (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › multiple sites (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › pelvic region (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › shoulder region (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › thigh (of)
  • Disorder › soft tissue › upper arm (of)

Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from M79

The conditions below can never be reported together with M79.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.

  • psychogenic rheumatism (F45.8)
  • soft tissue pain, psychogenic (F45.41)

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 13

The conditions below are not part of M79.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, M79.9 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 M79.9 existed?

M79.9 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.

What other codes are in the M79 family? (10)