W69 — Accidental drowning and submersion while in natural water
Is W69 billable?
No — W69 is a non-billable header code. W69 groups more specific codes and cannot be submitted on a claim. A valid ICD-10-CM code must be reported at the highest level of specificity available in its branch. Select one of the 3 billable codes beneath W69.
W69 at a glance
| Code | W69 |
|---|---|
| Description | Accidental drowning and submersion while in natural water |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
How is W69 listed in the External Cause Index?
These are the routes through the External Cause of Injuries Index that lead to W69 — how the injury happened, rather than what the injury was.
- Drowning › in › natural water (accidental)
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with W69 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to W69.
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in lake
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in open sea
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in river
- Accidental drowning and submersion while in stream
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W65-W74
The conditions below can never be reported together with W69 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 W65-W74
The conditions below are not part of W69, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W69 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)
What codes fall under W69? (3)
How long has W69 existed?
W69 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.