B17.10 ICD-10-CM Code: Acute hepatitis C without hepatic coma
HCC Buddy Code Card
Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.
FY 2026 Apr update / Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99) / Viral hepatitis (B15-B19)
B17.10
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidanceAcute hepatitis C without hepatic coma
A sudden hepatitis C infection without severe liver failure (hepatic coma), typically presenting with inflammation of the liver.
Buddy Insight
Acute hepatitis C without hepatic coma represents a newly acquired hepatitis C infection before it progresses to chronic disease.
CMS-HCC V28
00
RAF 0
CMS-HCC V24
00
RAF 0
ACA/HHS
00
RAF 0
ESRD/PACE
00
RAF 0
RXHCC
MappedHCC 55
RAF 0.0
Code Trumping
Basket needed
Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
Official- Acute hepatitis C NOS
Excludes 2
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for B17.10 in this effective period.
Related Child Codes
Includes
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for B17.10 in this effective period.
Excludes 1
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for B17.10 in this effective period.
Code First
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for B17.10 in this effective period.
Use Additional
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for B17.10 in this effective period.
Code Also
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for B17.10 in this effective period.
Buddy Documentation Tip
MEAT Support
Audit Caution
Common Mistakes
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.
Is B17.10 an HCC code?
No. B17.10 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any HCC category in V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC.
HCC Category Mapping
RAF weights shown are the community, non-dual, aged base weights from the CMS risk adjustment model file. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member segment, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains in use during the transition and for historical data.
Work B17.10 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →
MEAT Criteria for B17.10
For B17.10to count as a valid HCC diagnosis in a given encounter, the provider's documentation must show MEAT: Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat. A diagnosis from a prior year does not carry forward automatically, it has to be re-documented and supported each calendar year.
- MMonitor: signs, symptoms, disease progression, or lab trending documented in the note
- EEvaluate: test results, medication response, or physical findings reviewed by the provider
- AAssess: explicit mention in the assessment or plan with acknowledgment of status
- TTreat: medication, referral, procedure, therapy, or counseling tied to the diagnosis
Only one of M/E/A/T is required to support the code, but the documentation must be specific enough to show that the provider actually addressed B17.10 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
Coder workflow notes
Get the V28 RAF + MEAT cheat sheet
One printable page: confirm a code's V28 HCC status, its RAF weight, and the MEAT your note needs to make it stick. Free, no card.
Free PDF. No card. Unsubscribe anytime.
What This Code Means
B17.10 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute hepatitis c without hepatic coma. A sudden hepatitis C infection without severe liver failure (hepatic coma), typically presenting with inflammation of the liver. B17.10 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for certain infectious and parasitic diseases (a00-b99), within the section covering viral hepatitis (b15-b19).
B17.10 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to a payment HCC under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions but it does not contribute to a beneficiary's RAF score and therefore does not affect risk-adjusted payments to the plan.
Maps only to RxHCC 55 (Substance Use Disorder, Mild) with RAF 0.0. This code does NOT map to any V28 or V24 community HCC. It has no community risk adjustment value. The chronic form (B18.2) maps to HCC 65/29 with significant RAF weights, highlighting the importance of accurate acute vs. chronic distinction.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for B17.10 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Use this code only for acute hepatitis C cases without hepatic encephalopathy or coma
- •If hepatic coma is present, this code is not appropriate; look for alternative coding
Clinical Significance
Acute hepatitis C without hepatic coma represents a newly acquired hepatitis C infection before it progresses to chronic disease. Only 20-30% of acute hepatitis C cases are symptomatic, making documentation of the acute phase clinically important. Approximately 75-85% of acute cases progress to chronic hepatitis C without treatment.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Evidence of new infection: seroconversion (negative to positive anti-HCV), or documented exposure within prior 6 months
- ✓Hepatitis C RNA (viral load) positive with recent onset
- ✓Liver function tests: elevated ALT/AST with timeline
- ✓Symptoms documented if present: jaundice, fatigue, nausea, dark urine
- ✓Absence of hepatic coma or hepatic encephalopathy explicitly documented
Commonly Confused Codes
- •B18.2 (Chronic viral hepatitis C): Chronic infection persisting beyond 6 months; acute is the initial infection phase
- •B17.11 (Acute hepatitis C with hepatic coma): Same acute infection but with hepatic coma present; B17.10 requires absence of coma
- •B19.20 (Unspecified viral hepatitis C without hepatic coma): Use when acute vs. chronic status is unknown; B17.10 requires documented acute phase