Q35.9 — Cleft palate, unspecified
Is Q35.9 billable?
Yes, but Q35.9 is an unspecified code. Q35.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, Q35.9 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 Q35.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
Q35.9 at a glance
| Code | Q35.9 |
|---|---|
| Description | Cleft palate, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does Q35.9 group to?
Q35.9 sits in MDC Pre 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.
- 011Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with MCCsurgical
- 012Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with CCsurgical
- 013Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy without CC/MCCsurgical
How is Q35.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to Q35.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Cleft › palate (congenital)
- Perforation, perforated › palate (nontraumatic) (of)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to Q35.9.
- Cleft palate NOS
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from Q35
The conditions below can never be reported together with Q35.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- cleft palate with cleft lip (Q37.-)
Use additional code — inherited from Q35-Q37
Report an additional code alongside Q35.9 to fully describe the condition. Q35.9 is sequenced first.
- code to identify associated malformation of the nose (Q30.2)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 17
The conditions below are not part of Q35.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, Q35.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- inborn errors of metabolism (E70-E88)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Q35-Q37
The conditions below are not part of Q35.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, Q35.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- Robin's syndrome (Q87.0)
How long has Q35.9 existed?
Q35.9 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.