E13.21 ICD-10-CM Code: Other specified diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy
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 / Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E89) / Diabetes mellitus (E08-E13)
E13.21
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidanceOther specified diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy
A secondary form of diabetes that has damaged the kidneys, affecting their ability to filter waste from the blood.
Buddy Insight
E13.
CMS-HCC V28
MappedHCC 37
RAF 0.245
CMS-HCC V24
MappedHCC 18
RAF 0.302
ACA/HHS
00
RAF 0
ESRD/PACE
MappedHCC 18
RAF 0.0
RXHCC
MappedHCC 30
RAF 0.0
Code Trumping
Basket needed
Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
Official- Other specified diabetes mellitus with intercapillary glomerulosclerosis
- Other specified diabetes mellitus with intracapillary glomerulonephrosis
- Other specified diabetes mellitus with Kimmelstiel-Wilson disease
Excludes 2
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for E13.21 in this effective period.
Related Child Codes
Includes
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for E13.21 in this effective period.
Excludes 1
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for E13.21 in this effective period.
Code First
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for E13.21 in this effective period.
Use Additional
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for E13.21 in this effective period.
Code Also
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for E13.21 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 E13.21 an HCC code?
Yes. E13.21 maps to Diabetes with Chronic Complications under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Diabetes with Chronic Complications under V24).
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.
MEAT Criteria for E13.21
For E13.21to 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 E13.21 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
E13.21 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other specified diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy. A secondary form of diabetes that has damaged the kidneys, affecting their ability to filter waste from the blood. E13.21 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (e00-e89), within the section covering diabetes mellitus (e08-e13).
Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, E13.21 maps to Diabetes with Chronic Complications (HCC 37) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.245. Under the older V24 model, E13.21 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.302, V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. V28 is the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model that reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition.
Nephropathy indicates kidney damage; verify kidney function tests or urinalysis results are documented. Because E13.21 maps to a payment HCC, the provider's documentation must satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's Medicare Advantage risk adjustment score. When documentation is ambiguous, coders should issue a provider query rather than assume the highest-specificity variant.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for E13.21 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Nephropathy indicates kidney damage; verify kidney function tests or urinalysis results are documented
- •Use E13.22 if chronic kidney disease stage is specified; use E13.21 for general diabetic nephropathy
Clinical Significance
E13.21 identifies diabetic nephropathy in patients with other specified (secondary) diabetes mellitus. Diabetic nephropathy represents progressive kidney damage caused by chronic hyperglycemia, manifesting as persistent albuminuria, declining glomerular filtration rate, and eventual progression toward end-stage renal disease if not aggressively managed.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation must establish the secondary diabetes type with its underlying cause and confirm the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.
- ✓Supporting evidence includes persistent proteinuria or albuminuria, elevated serum creatinine, or reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate.
- ✓The causal link between diabetes and kidney disease must be stated or clearly implied.