W21.81XS — Striking against or struck by football helmet, sequela
Is W21.81XS billable?
Yes — W21.81XS is billable for FY2027. W21.81XS is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. W21.81XS may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
W21.81XS at a glance
| Code | W21.81XS |
|---|---|
| Description | Striking against or struck by football helmet, 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 W21.81XS?
In W21.81XS, the 7th character S means sequela. The 7th character is required for W21.81XS to be a valid, complete code.
Same condition, different episode of care — switch the 7th character:
How is W21.81XS listed in the External Cause Index?
The External Cause of Injuries Index lists these routes under W21.81, the nearest indexed parent of W21.81XS. This is a separate index from the Alphabetic Index and is where external cause codes are looked up.
- Struckby › sports equipment › football helmet (accidentally)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W20-W49
The conditions below can never be reported together with W21.81XS 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 W21
The conditions below can never be reported together with W21.81XS on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
How long has W21.81XS existed?
W21.81XS 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.