R17 — Unspecified jaundice
Is R17 billable?
Yes, but R17 is an unspecified code. R17 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, R17 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 R17.
R17 at a glance
| Code | R17 |
|---|---|
| Description | Unspecified jaundice |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does R17 group to?
R17 sits in MDC 07 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.
- 441Disorders of Liver Except Malignancy, Cirrhosis or Alcoholic Hepatitis with MCCmedical
- 442Disorders of Liver Except Malignancy, Cirrhosis or Alcoholic Hepatitis with CCmedical
- 443Disorders of Liver Except Malignancy, Cirrhosis or Alcoholic Hepatitis without CC/MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, R17 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is R17 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to R17. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Jaundice (yellow)
- Icterus › conjunctiva
- Jaundice › cholestatic (yellow)
- Jaundice › symptomatic (yellow)
- Elevated, elevation › liver function › test › bilirubin
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with R17 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 18
The conditions below are not part of R17, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R17 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from R10-R19
The conditions below are not part of R17, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R17 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- congenital or infantile pylorospasm (Q40.0)
- gastrointestinal hemorrhage (K92.0-K92.2)
- intestinal obstruction (K56.-)
- newborn gastrointestinal hemorrhage (P54.0-P54.3)
- newborn intestinal obstruction (P76.-)
- pylorospasm (K31.3)
- signs and symptoms involving the urinary system (R30-R39)
- symptoms referable to female genital organs (N94.-)
- symptoms referable to male genital organs (N48-N50)
How long has R17 existed?
R17 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.
Which codes are confused with R17?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with R17 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.