W44.H1XA — Needle entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter
Is W44.H1XA billable?
Yes — W44.H1XA is billable for FY2027. W44.H1XA is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. W44.H1XA may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
W44.H1XA at a glance
| Code | W44.H1XA |
|---|---|
| Description | Needle entering into or through a natural orifice, 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 W44.H1XA?
In W44.H1XA, the 7th character A means initial encounter. The 7th character is required for W44.H1XA to be a valid, complete code.
Same condition, different episode of care — switch the 7th character:
How is W44.H1XA listed in the External Cause Index?
The External Cause of Injuries Index lists these routes under W44.H1, the nearest indexed parent of W44.H1XA. This is a separate index from the Alphabetic Index and is where external cause codes are looked up.
- Foreign body › entering through › natural orifice › dart
- Foreign body › entering through › natural orifice › needle
- Foreign body › entering through › natural orifice › safety pin
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to W44.H1XA.
- Dart entering into or through a natural orifice
- Hypodermic needle entering into or through a natural orifice
- Safety pin entering into or through a natural orifice
- Sewing needle entering into or through a natural orifice
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W20-W49
The conditions below can never be reported together with W44.H1XA on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from W44
The conditions below are not part of W44.H1XA, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W44.H1XA and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has W44.H1XA existed?
W44.H1XA first appears in FY2024.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.