What is ICD-10 code G71.01?

G71.01 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy. A severe inherited muscle disease causing progressive weakness and wasting, with Duchenne type being more severe and Becker type being milder. It belongs to the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the nervous system (g00-g99). G71.01 is a billable code, meaning it can be reported on a claim as a primary or secondary diagnosis when supported by documentation. G71.01 is part of the FY2026 ICD-10-CM code set published by the CMS National Center for Health Statistics and used on Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial claims in the United States.

Yes. G71.01 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. G71.01 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for G71.01?

CMS phased in the V28 risk adjustment model over payment years 2024 (33%), 2025 (67%), and 2026 (100%), replacing V24. V28 consolidates HCC categories, removes some lower-acuity conditions, and recalibrates RAF weights across the entire model. For G71.01, V28 maps to Muscular Dystrophy at RAF 0.426 while V24 mapped to Muscular Dystrophy at RAF 0.518. Both models can still appear in legacy data and in payer-specific lookback periods.

What should coders know when reporting G71.01?

Specify whether Duchenne or Becker type when documentation permits; these have different severity and prognosis Document age of onset and progression pattern to support the diagnosis Because G71.01 maps to a payment HCC, the documentation must also satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's risk adjustment score.

2026 ICD-10-CM G71.01: Duchenne or Becker muscular

ICD-10-CM Code View

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Code lookupG71.01Effective periodFY2026 Apr Update (Apr 1-Sep 30)

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99) / Diseases of myoneural junction and muscle (G70-G73)

G71.01

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

Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy

A severe inherited muscle disease causing progressive weakness and wasting, with Duchenne type being more severe and Becker type being milder.

Buddy Insight

Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy are X-linked recessive dystrophinopathies representing the most common and among the most severe forms of muscular dystrophy.

CMS-HCC V28

Mapped

HCC 197

Muscular Dystrophy

RAF 0.426

CMS-HCC V24

Mapped

HCC 76

Muscular Dystrophy

RAF 0.518

ACA/HHS

Mapped

HCC 117

HHS-HCC 117

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

Mapped

HCC 76

Muscular Dystrophy

RAF 0.136

RXHCC

N/A

—

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

Not mapped

Code Book Path

Official

G71Primary disorders of muscles

G71.0Muscular dystrophy

G71.01Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy

Inclusion Terms

Official

Autosomal recessive, childhood type, muscular dystrophy resembling Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy
Benign [Becker] muscular dystrophy
Severe [Duchenne] muscular dystrophy

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for G71.01 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official

G71.00Muscular dystrophy, unspecified

G71.02Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

G71.03Limb girdle muscular dystrophies

G71.09Other specified muscular dystrophies

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for G71.01 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for G71.01 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for G71.01 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for G71.01 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for G71.01 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance

Genetic testing confirming dystrophin gene mutation or muscle biopsy showing absent/reduced dystrophin

Specification of Duchenne versus Becker type when possible (Duchenne has absent dystrophin, Becker has reduced)

Age of onset and progression timeline

Current functional status: ambulatory versus non-ambulatory, respiratory function

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance

Genetic testing confirming dystrophin gene mutation or muscle biopsy showing absent/reduced dystrophin

Specification of Duchenne versus Becker type when possible (Duchenne has absent dystrophin, Becker has reduced)

Age of onset and progression timeline

Current functional status: ambulatory versus non-ambulatory, respiratory function

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance

Using the unspecified muscular dystrophy code (G71.00) when documentation supports Duchenne or Becker type

Not distinguishing between Duchenne and Becker types in the documentation, which have very different prognoses

Failing to code associated complications: cardiomyopathy, respiratory failure, scoliosis separately

Missing this diagnosis in adult patients with Becker type who may have milder presentation

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance

G71.031 — Autosomal dominant limb girdle muscular dystrophy has different inheritance and clinical pattern

G71.00 — Muscular dystrophy, unspecified should not be used when Duchenne or Becker type is confirmed

G71.02 — Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy has different distribution (face, shoulders) and inheritance

G71.11 — Myotonic muscular dystrophy involves myotonia, not present in Duchenne/Becker

Current with CMS: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr 1 update (effective Apr 1 – Sep 30, 2026) · CMS-HCC V28, 100% phased in for payment year 2026. FY2027 code set already staged for October 1, 2026. How HCC Buddy stays current →

Is G71.01 an HCC code?

Yes. G71.01 (Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy) maps to Muscular Dystrophy under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Muscular Dystrophy under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.426. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: G71.01 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 197, Muscular Dystrophy. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code: G71.01
Description: Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy
HCC (V28): HCC 197 — Muscular Dystrophy
RAF: 0.426
Billable: Yes
Payment year: 2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 197, Muscular Dystrophy

0.426

V24HCC 76, Muscular Dystrophy

0.518

ESRDHCC 76, Muscular Dystrophy

0.136

Each model's RAF is its CMS base weight for that model's standard population, so weights are not directly comparable across models: CMS-HCC V28 and V24 use Community, Non-Dual, Aged; ESRD uses the dialysis continuing-enrollee model; RxHCC is the Part D continuing-enrollee, non-low-income, aged weight (a larger scale than CMS-HCC). ACA/HHS has no single weight — it varies by metal level. 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 G71.01 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for G71.01

For G71.01 to 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 G71.01 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

G71.01 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for duchenne or becker muscular dystrophy. A severe inherited muscle disease causing progressive weakness and wasting, with Duchenne type being more severe and Becker type being milder. G71.01 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the nervous system (g00-g99), within the section covering diseases of myoneural junction and muscle (g70-g73).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, G71.01 maps to Muscular Dystrophy (HCC 197) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.426. Under the older V24 model, G71.01 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.518, 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.

Specify whether Duchenne or Becker type when documentation permits; these have different severity and prognosis. Because G71.01 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 G71.01 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

•Specify whether Duchenne or Becker type when documentation permits; these have different severity and prognosis
•Document age of onset and progression pattern to support the diagnosis

Clinical Significance

Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy are X-linked recessive dystrophinopathies representing the most common and among the most severe forms of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne type has childhood onset with loss of ambulation by adolescence and life-threatening cardiac and respiratory complications. Accurate coding is critical for capturing the extraordinary care complexity including corticosteroids, cardiac monitoring, respiratory support, and mobility aids.

Documentation Requirements

✓Genetic testing confirming dystrophin gene mutation or muscle biopsy showing absent/reduced dystrophin
✓Specification of Duchenne versus Becker type when possible (Duchenne has absent dystrophin, Becker has reduced)
✓Age of onset and progression timeline
✓Current functional status: ambulatory versus non-ambulatory, respiratory function
✓Cardiac evaluation: echocardiogram results, cardiac involvement
✓Current treatment: corticosteroids, cardiac medications, respiratory support

Commonly Confused Codes

•G71.031: Autosomal dominant limb girdle muscular dystrophy has different inheritance and clinical pattern
•G71.00: Muscular dystrophy, unspecified should not be used when Duchenne or Becker type is confirmed
•G71.02: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy has different distribution (face, shoulders) and inheritance
•G71.11: Myotonic muscular dystrophy involves myotonia, not present in Duchenne/Becker