R29.721 — NIHSS score 21
Is R29.721 billable?
Yes — R29.721 is billable for FY2027. R29.721 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. R29.721 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
R29.721 at a glance
| Code | R29.721 |
|---|---|
| Description | NIHSS score 21 |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
What Medicare edits apply to R29.721?
The Medicare Code Editor screens inpatient claims before they are grouped. These edits name R29.721 directly.
CMS will reject this code as the principal diagnosis on an inpatient claim. It describes something other than the condition chiefly responsible for the admission.
Which MS-DRGs does R29.721 group to?
R29.721 sits in MDC 23 and helps define the logic of 1 MS-DRG (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 951Other Factors Influencing Health Statusmedical
How is R29.721 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under R29.7, the nearest indexed parent of R29.721. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- NIHSSscore (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale)
- Score, NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale)
Code first — inherited from R29.7
The underlying condition below must be sequenced before R29.721. R29.721 describes a manifestation and cannot be the principal or first-listed diagnosis.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 18
The conditions below are not part of R29.721, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R29.721 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has R29.721 existed?
R29.721 first appears in FY2018 (FY2017 is not available, so it may have appeared then).
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.