Skip to content

I21.B ICD-10-CM Code: Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction

I21.B maps to CMS-HCC V28 228. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · free HCC coding tools

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.

Code lookupI21.B

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) / Ischemic heart diseases (I20-I25)

I21.B

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

Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction

A heart attack caused by dysfunction of the smallest blood vessels in the heart rather than blockage of larger coronary arteries.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction represents a newer diagnostic entity where myocardial damage occurs due to dysfunction of the small coronary vessels rather than obstruction of epicardial arteries.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 228

Coefficient HCC 228: 0.252 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 131

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 86

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

HCC 188

Code-level coefficient reference

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular disease
  • Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries [MINOCA] with microvascular disease

Excludes 2

Official
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • systemic connective tissue disorders (M30-M36)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • transient cerebral ischemic attacks and related syndromes (G45.-)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • old myocardial infarction (I25.2)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • postmyocardial infarction syndrome (I24.1)Inherited from I00-I99, I21
  • subsequent type 1 myocardial infarction (I22.-)Inherited from I00-I99, I21

Includes

Official
  • cardiac infarctionInherited from I21
  • coronary (artery) embolismInherited from I21
  • coronary (artery) occlusionInherited from I21
  • coronary (artery) ruptureInherited from I21
  • coronary (artery) thrombosisInherited from I21
  • infarction of heart, myocardium, or ventricleInherited from I21
  • myocardial infarction specified as acute or with a stated duration of 4 weeks (28 days) or less from onsetInherited from I21

Excludes 1

Official

No Excludes 1 notes are included in this display for I21.B. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for I21.B. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official
  • code, if applicable, to identify:Inherited from I21
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)Inherited from I21
  • history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)Inherited from I21
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)Inherited from I21
  • status post administration of tPA (rtPA) in a different facility within the last 24 hours prior to admission to current facility (Z92.82)Inherited from I21
  • tobacco dependence (F17.-)Inherited from I21
  • tobacco use (Z72.0)Inherited from I21

Code Also

Official
  • the presence of hypertension (I10-I1A)Inherited from I20-I25

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Explicit documentation of myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction
Evidence of myocardial infarction (biomarker elevation, ischemic symptoms)
Cardiac catheterization showing non-obstructive coronary arteries
Microvascular function testing results (coronary flow reserve, index of microcirculatory resistance) if performed

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Explicit documentation of myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction
Evidence of myocardial infarction (biomarker elevation, ischemic symptoms)
Cardiac catheterization showing non-obstructive coronary arteries
Microvascular function testing results (coronary flow reserve, index of microcirculatory resistance) if performed

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Confusing this code with I24.81 (acute coronary microvascular dysfunction without myocardial infarction)
Using standard STEMI/NSTEMI codes when microvascular disease is the documented mechanism
Assigning this code without documentation of microvascular dysfunction — normal catheterization alone is insufficient
Missing this diagnosis in patients (particularly women) with myocardial infarction and non-obstructive coronary arteries

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
I21.4 — Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction: caused by epicardial coronary disease, not microvascular
I21.A1 — Myocardial infarction type 2: caused by supply-demand mismatch, different mechanism than microvascular dysfunction
I24.81 — Acute coronary microvascular dysfunction: microvascular dysfunction without actual myocardial infarction
I20.89 — Other forms of angina pectoris: chest pain without myocardial damage

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 I21.B an HCC code?

Yes. I21.B (Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction) maps to HCC 228, Acute Myocardial Infarction under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.252. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: I21.B is billable and maps to V28 HCC 228, Acute Myocardial Infarction. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
I21.B
Description
Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction
HCC (V28)
HCC 228 — Acute Myocardial Infarction
RAF reference coefficient
0.252
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 228, Acute Myocardial Infarction
0.252
ESRDHCC 86, Acute Myocardial Infarction
Not separately weighted
RxHCCHCC 188, Coronary Artery Disease
Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. 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 context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work I21.B in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for I21.B

For I21.B, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

  • 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

Coder workflow notes

Get the V28 mapping + MEAT cheat sheet

One printable reference: check representative V28 mappings and the documentation reminders your note needs. Free, no card.

Free PDF. No card. Unsubscribe anytime.

What This Code Means

I21.B is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction. A heart attack caused by dysfunction of the smallest blood vessels in the heart rather than blockage of larger coronary arteries. I21.B sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the circulatory system (i00-i99), within the section covering ischemic heart diseases (i20-i25).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, I21.B maps to Acute Myocardial Infarction (HCC 228) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.252. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

This code requires documentation specifically mentioning coronary microvascular dysfunction or microvascular angina as the cause. For I21.B, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule. 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, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for I21.B sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • This code requires documentation specifically mentioning coronary microvascular dysfunction or microvascular angina as the cause
  • Ensure the provider has documented this diagnosis; it may require cardiac catheterization findings to confirm

Clinical Significance

Myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction represents a newer diagnostic entity where myocardial damage occurs due to dysfunction of the small coronary vessels rather than obstruction of epicardial arteries. This condition is more common in women and may be underdiagnosed. The creation of this specific code reflects growing recognition of microvascular disease as a significant cause of ischemic heart events.

Documentation Requirements

  • Explicit documentation of myocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction
  • Evidence of myocardial infarction (biomarker elevation, ischemic symptoms)
  • Cardiac catheterization showing non-obstructive coronary arteries
  • Microvascular function testing results (coronary flow reserve, index of microcirculatory resistance) if performed
  • Exclusion of epicardial coronary artery obstruction as the cause

Commonly Confused Codes

  • I21.4: Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction: caused by epicardial coronary disease, not microvascular
  • I21.A1: Myocardial infarction type 2: caused by supply-demand mismatch, different mechanism than microvascular dysfunction
  • I24.81: Acute coronary microvascular dysfunction: microvascular dysfunction without actual myocardial infarction
  • I20.89: Other forms of angina pectoris: chest pain without myocardial damage
  • I25.89: Other forms of chronic ischemic heart disease: chronic condition, not acute myocardial infarction

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

I21Acute myocardial infarctionI21.BMyocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction
I21.BMyocardial infarction with coronary microvascular dysfunction

I21.B code history

Code setChange
FY2024 (effective Oct 1, 2023)Added to the code set

Source: official CMS ICD-10-CM order and addenda files, FY2016 through FY2027.

Also searched as

  • I21 B
  • I21B

For I21.B, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

I21.B maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 228, Acute Myocardial Infarction. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for I21.B. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Work I21.B in HCC Buddy

Open I21.B in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 7 days to try everything, no card required.