W74.XXXA — Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion, initial encounter
Is W74.XXXA billable?
Yes, but W74.XXXA is an unspecified code. W74.XXXA is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, W74.XXXA 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 W74.XXXA — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
W74.XXXA at a glance
| Code | W74.XXXA |
|---|---|
| Description | Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion, initial encounter |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
How is W74.XXXA listed in the External Cause Index?
The External Cause of Injuries Index lists these routes under W74, the nearest indexed parent of W74.XXXA. This is a separate index from the Alphabetic Index and is where external cause codes are looked up.
- Drowning (accidental)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to W74.XXXA.
- Drowning NOS
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from W65-W74
The conditions below can never be reported together with W74.XXXA 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 W74.XXXA, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, W74.XXXA and the excluded code may both be reported.
- accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)
How long has W74.XXXA existed?
W74.XXXA 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.