ICD-10 Code for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Also searched as acid reflux, gastro-esophageal reflux
The ICD-10-CM code for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is K21.9 — Gastro-esophageal reflux disease without esophagitis. It is billable for FY2027.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease ICD-10 codes at a glance
| Condition | Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) |
|---|---|
| Code | K21.9 — Gastro-esophageal reflux disease without esophagitis |
| Billable | Yes (K21.9) |
| Alphabetic Index entry | Reflux, gastroesophageal |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027, valid October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
What changes the gastroesophageal reflux disease code?
The Alphabetic Index lists these qualifiers under Reflux, gastroesophageal. If the record documents one of them, the code changes. Verify the code in the Tabular List before reporting it.
What does the Tabular List say about K21.9?
The instructional notes that govern K21.9, including those it inherits from its category and chapter. An Excludes1 note means the two codes are never reported together.
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to K21.9.
- Esophageal reflux NOS
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from K21
The conditions below can never be reported together with K21.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- newborn esophageal reflux (P78.83)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 11
The conditions below are not part of K21.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K21.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from K20-K31
The conditions below are not part of K21.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K21.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- hiatus hernia (K44.-)
Codes, descriptions and Index entries are from the official ICD-10-CM FY2027 release. Guideline text is quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2027. A code must always be verified in the Tabular List before it is reported. Data sources