R79.89 — Other specified abnormal findings of blood chemistry
Is R79.89 billable?
Yes, but R79.89 is an unspecified code. R79.89 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, R79.89 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 R79.89 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
R79.89 at a glance
| Code | R79.89 |
|---|---|
| Description | Other specified abnormal findings of blood chemistry |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does R79.89 group to?
R79.89 sits in MDC 23 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.
- 947Signs and Symptoms with MCCmedical
- 948Signs and Symptoms without MCCmedical
How is R79.89 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to R79.89. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Acetonemia
- Azotemia
- Melanemia
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities › liver function test
- Elevated, elevation › troponin
- Findings, abnormal, inconclusive, without diagnosis › liver function test
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities › chemistry, blood › specified NEC
- Elevated, elevation › liver function › test
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from R79
The conditions below can never be reported together with R79.89 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- asymptomatic hyperuricemia (E79.0)
- hypoglycemia NOS (E16.2)
- neonatal hypoglycemia (P70.3-P70.4)
- specific findings indicating disorder of amino-acid metabolism (E70-E72)
- specific findings indicating disorder of carbohydrate metabolism (E73-E74)
- specific findings indicating disorder of lipid metabolism (E75.-)
Use additional code — inherited from R79
Report an additional code alongside R79.89 to fully describe the condition. R79.89 is sequenced first.
- code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 18
The conditions below are not part of R79.89, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R79.89 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from R70-R79
The conditions below are not part of R79.89, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R79.89 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
- abnormalities of lipids (E78.-)
- abnormalities of platelets and thrombocytes (D69.-)
- abnormalities of white blood cells classified elsewhere (D70-D72)
- coagulation hemorrhagic disorders (D65-D68)
- diagnostic abnormal findings classified elsewhere - see Alphabetical Index
- hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from R79
The conditions below are not part of R79.89, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R79.89 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- hyperglycemia NOS (R73.9)
How long has R79.89 existed?
R79.89 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.