W16.91XS — Jumping or diving into unspecified water causing drowning and submersion, sequela

BillableUnspecified

Is W16.91XS billable?

Yes, but W16.91XS is an unspecified code. W16.91XS is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, W16.91XS 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 W16.91XS — the more specific alternatives are listed below.

More specific alternatives

W16.91XS at a glance

Code	W16.91XS
Description	Jumping or diving into unspecified water causing drowning and submersion, sequela
Billable	Yes
Code set	ICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encounters	October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027
7th character "S"	sequela

What does the 7th character "S" mean in W16.91XS?

In W16.91XS, the 7th character S means sequela. The 7th character is required for W16.91XS to be a valid, complete code.

Same condition, different episode of care — switch the 7th character:

How is W16.91XS listed in the External Cause Index?

The External Cause of Injuries Index lists these routes under W16.91, the nearest indexed parent of W16.91XS. This is a separate index from the Alphabetic Index and is where external cause codes are looked up.

Jumped, jumping › into water › causing drowning
Drowning › following › jump or dive › into › water NOS (accidental)

Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W00-W19

The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.91XS on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.

assault involving a fall (Y01-Y02)
fall from animal (V80.-)
fall (in) (from) machinery (in operation) (W28-W31)
fall (in) (from) transport vehicle (V01-V99)
intentional self-harm involving a fall (X80-X81)

Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W16

The conditions below can never be reported together with W16.91XS on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.

accidental non-watercraft drowning and submersion not involving fall (W65-W74)
effects of air pressure from diving (W94.-)
fall into water from watercraft (V90-V94)
hitting an object or against bottom when falling from watercraft (V94.0)

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W00-W19

The conditions below are not part of W16.91XS, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W16.91XS and the excluded code may both be reported.

at risk for fall (history of fall) Z91.81
fall (in) (from) burning building (X00.-)
fall into fire (X00-X04, X08)

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W16

The conditions below are not part of W16.91XS, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W16.91XS and the excluded code may both be reported.

striking or hitting diving board (W21.4)

How long has W16.91XS existed?

W16.91XS 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.