W16.531A — Jumping or diving into swimming pool striking wall causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter
Is W16.531A billable?
Yes — W16.531A is billable for FY2027. W16.531A is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. W16.531A may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
W16.531A at a glance
| Code | W16.531A |
|---|---|
| Description | Jumping or diving into swimming pool striking wall 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 W16.531A?
In W16.531A, the 7th character A means initial encounter. The 7th character is required for W16.531A to be a valid, complete code.
Same condition, different episode of care — switch the 7th character:
How is W16.531A listed in the External Cause Index?
The External Cause of Injuries Index lists these routes under W16.531, the nearest indexed parent of W16.531A. This is a separate index from the Alphabetic Index and is where external cause codes are looked up.
- Striking against › wall › diving or jumping into water › swimming pool › causing drowning
- Striking against › wall › swimming pool › diving or jumping into water › causing drowning
- Drowning › following › jump or dive › into › swimming-pool › striking › wall (accidental)
- Drowning › in › swimming-pool › following › dive or jump › striking › wall (accidental)
- Jumped, jumping › into water › in › swimming pool › striking › wall › causing drowning
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.531A 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 swimming pool without jumping or diving (W67)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W00-W19
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.531A 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 W16.531A 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 W16.531
The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.531A 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 swimming pool without jumping or diving (W67)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W00-W19
The conditions below are not part of W16.531A, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W16.531A and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W16
The conditions below are not part of W16.531A, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W16.531A and the excluded code may both be reported.
- striking or hitting diving board (W21.4)
How long has W16.531A existed?
W16.531A 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.