Question 1

What is ICD-10 code H60.20?

Accepted Answer

H60.20 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant otitis externa, unspecified ear. A serious ear canal infection that can spread to surrounding bone and tissue, affecting an unspecified ear. This condition requires prompt treatment to prevent complications. H60.20 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the ear and mastoid process (h60-h95), within the section covering diseases of external ear (h60-h62).

H60.20 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.

Malignant otitis externa is typically associated with diabetes or immunocompromised patients; review clinical documentation for underlying conditions.

Question 2

Is H60.20 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. H60.20 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any payment HCC category under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can still be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions, but it does not contribute to the beneficiary's Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) score and therefore does not affect the risk-adjusted capitation payment to the plan. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026.

Question 3

Is H60.20 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. H60.20 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. H60.20 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.

Question 4

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for H60.20?

Accepted Answer

H60.20 does not map to a payment HCC under either the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model or the older V24 model. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition. Because neither model rewards H60.20 with a risk adjustment factor, it contributes zero to a Medicare Advantage beneficiary's RAF score in either version. Coders should check whether provider documentation supports a more specific child code that does map to a payment HCC.

Question 5

What should coders know when reporting H60.20?

Accepted Answer

Malignant otitis externa is typically associated with diabetes or immunocompromised patients; review clinical documentation for underlying conditions If laterality is documented, use H60.21, H60.22, or H60.23 instead of the unspecified code H60.20

HCC Buddy Code Card

H60.20

Is H60.20 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open H60.20 in the Interactive Encoder