Skip to content

G40.A11 ICD-10-CM Code: Absence epileptic syndrome, intractable, with status epilepticus

ICD-10-CM Code View

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 / Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99) / Episodic and paroxysmal disorders (G40-G47)

G40.A11

Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Absence epileptic syndrome, intractable, with status epilepticus

Absence epilepsy that is resistant to medication, currently experiencing status epilepticus.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Intractable absence epileptic syndrome with status epilepticus is an uncommon but serious presentation where absence seizures are drug-resistant and the patient is in prolonged absence status.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 201

RAF 0.262

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 79

RAF 0.244

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

HCC 79

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

HCC 163

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

Basket needed

Code Book Path

Official
G40.AAbsence epileptic syndrome
G40.A1Absence epileptic syndrome, intractable
G40.A11Absence epileptic syndrome, intractable, with status epilepticus

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
G40.A19Absence epileptic syndrome, intractable, without status epilepticus

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for G40.A11 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Confirmed absence epilepsy diagnosis with EEG confirmation
Documentation of intractability with failed trials of first-line agents (ethosuximide, valproic acid)
Active absence status epilepticus during the encounter
Emergency interventions provided

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Confirmed absence epilepsy diagnosis with EEG confirmation
Documentation of intractability with failed trials of first-line agents (ethosuximide, valproic acid)
Active absence status epilepticus during the encounter
Emergency interventions provided

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Not recognizing absence status epilepticus because it presents non-convulsively
Coding intractable absence epilepsy without trialing first-line medications (ethosuximide, valproate)
Failing to consider that intractable absence seizures may indicate an incorrect initial diagnosis
Using generic codes when absence syndrome is specifically documented

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
G40.A01 — Absence epilepsy with status epilepticus, NOT intractable
G40.A19 — Absence epilepsy, intractable, WITHOUT status epilepticus
G40.B11 — Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, intractable, with status epilepticus; different syndrome
G40.411 — Other generalized epilepsy, intractable, with status epilepticus

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 G40.A11 an HCC code?

Yes. G40.A11 maps to Seizure Disorders and Convulsions under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Seizure Disorders and Convulsions under V24).

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 201, Seizure Disorders and Convulsions
0.262
V24HCC 79, Seizure Disorders and Convulsions
0.244
ESRDHCC 79, Seizure Disorders and Convulsions
0.000
RxHCCHCC 163, Seizure Disorders, Intractable Epilepsy
0.000

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 G40.A11

For G40.A11to 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 G40.A11 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

G40.A11 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for absence epileptic syndrome, intractable, with status epilepticus. Absence epilepsy that is resistant to medication, currently experiencing status epilepticus. G40.A11 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the nervous system (g00-g99), within the section covering episodic and paroxysmal disorders (g40-g47).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, G40.A11 maps to Seizure Disorders and Convulsions (HCC 201) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.262. Under the older V24 model, G40.A11 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.244, 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.

Intractable absence epilepsy is less common but more challenging to manage. Because G40.A11 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 G40.A11 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Intractable absence epilepsy is less common but more challenging to manage
  • Ensure documentation supports medication resistance with specific drug trial failures

Clinical Significance

Intractable absence epileptic syndrome with status epilepticus is an uncommon but serious presentation where absence seizures are drug-resistant and the patient is in prolonged absence status. This is more challenging to manage than typical absence epilepsy and may indicate an atypical absence syndrome or evolution toward juvenile myoclonic epilepsy or other generalized epilepsy syndromes.

Documentation Requirements

  • Confirmed absence epilepsy diagnosis with EEG confirmation
  • Documentation of intractability with failed trials of first-line agents (ethosuximide, valproic acid)
  • Active absence status epilepticus during the encounter
  • Emergency interventions provided
  • Assessment for alternative or coexisting epilepsy syndromes
  • Complete medication history

Commonly Confused Codes

  • G40.A01 — Absence epilepsy with status epilepticus, NOT intractable
  • G40.A19 — Absence epilepsy, intractable, WITHOUT status epilepticus
  • G40.B11 — Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, intractable, with status epilepticus; different syndrome
  • G40.411 — Other generalized epilepsy, intractable, with status epilepticus
  • G40.911 — Unspecified epilepsy, intractable, with status epilepticus

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open G40.A11 in the Interactive Encoder

See full code details, coding tips, HCC mappings, and related codes in our interactive encoder. Start your 14-day Pro trial. No credit card required.