G95.9
BillableDisease of spinal cord, unspecified
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 182 — Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries
0.282V24HCC 72 — Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries
0.464ESRDHCC 72 — Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries
0.000RxHCCHCC 155 — Myelitis and Encephalomyelitis
0.000What This Code Means
A disease or disorder of the spinal cord where the specific type or nature of the condition is not specified or documented.
Coding Tips
- •This is a last-resort code; query the provider for more specific diagnosis information when possible
- •Review medical records for any clues about the spinal cord pathology to assign a more specific code
Clinical Significance
Disease of spinal cord, unspecified is the least specific code in the spinal cord disease category, used when spinal cord pathology is documented but the specific nature cannot be determined from available clinical information. While this code captures risk adjustment value, it represents a documentation improvement opportunity. Providers should be queried to determine if a more specific cord condition can be identified.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation that the patient has a disease affecting the spinal cord
- ✓Any available imaging findings, even if nonspecific
- ✓Clinical symptoms attributable to spinal cord dysfunction
- ✓Neurological examination findings suggesting cord-level pathology (myelopathic signs)
- ✓Explanation of why a more specific diagnosis cannot be assigned
Commonly Confused Codes
G95.89 — Other specified diseases of spinal cord: use when the specific type is documented but does not have its own codeG95.0 — Syringomyelia: use when a syrinx is documentedG95.20 — Unspecified cord compression: use when compression is documented even if the cause is unknownG99.2 — Myelopathy in diseases classified elsewhere: use when cord disease is secondary to a classified condition
Code Hierarchy
└G95Other and unspecified diseases of spinal cord└G95.9Disease of spinal cord, unspecified
└G95.9Disease of spinal cord, unspecified