W16.131A — Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter
Is W16.131A billable?
Yes — W16.131A is billable for FY2027. W16.131A is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. W16.131A may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
W16.131A at a glance
| Code | W16.131A |
|---|---|
| Description | Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
| 7th character "A" | initial encounter |
What does the 7th character "A" mean in W16.131A?
In W16.131A, the 7th character A means initial encounter. The 7th character is required for W16.131A to be a valid, complete code.
Same condition, different episode of care — switch the 7th character:
How is W16.131A listed in the External Cause Index?
The External Cause of Injuries Index lists these routes under W16.131, the nearest indexed parent of W16.131A. This is a separate index from the Alphabetic Index and is where external cause codes are looked up.
- Striking against › wall › falling into water › natural body › causing drowning
- Drowning › in › natural water › following › fall › striking › side (accidental)
- Drowning › following › fall › into › water NOS › natural › striking › side (accidental)
- Fall, falling › into › water › in › natural body of water › striking › side › causing drowning (accidental)
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.131A on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- drowning and submersion while in natural body of water without fall (W69)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W00-W19
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.131A on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W16
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.131A on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W16.131
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.131A on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- drowning and submersion while in natural body of water without fall (W69)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W00-W19
The conditions below are not part of W16.131A, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W16.131A and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W16
The conditions below are not part of W16.131A, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W16.131A and the excluded code may both be reported.
- striking or hitting diving board (W21.4)
How long has W16.131A existed?
W16.131A 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.