I73.9

Billable

Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 108 — Vascular Disease

0.297

ESRDHCC 108 — Vascular Disease

0.000

What This Code Means

This code describes a disease affecting the blood vessels outside the heart and brain, but the specific type or location is not documented. It indicates poor circulation in the arms, legs, or other peripheral areas.

Coding Tips

•Use this code only when the specific type of peripheral vascular disease (such as atherosclerosis, thromboangiitis obliterans, or Raynaud's disease) is not documented; query the provider for more specificity when possible
•Do not use this unspecified code if documentation supports a more specific diagnosis code (I70.2xx for atherosclerosis of native arteries, I73.0 for Raynaud's syndrome, etc.)

Clinical Significance

Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified, is a commonly used but nonspecific code that indicates arterial insufficiency of the extremities without further characterization. While it captures vascular disease for risk adjustment, it represents a missed opportunity for more precise coding. The prevalence of this condition in elderly populations makes it a frequently encountered diagnosis in risk adjustment reviews.

Documentation Requirements

✓Documentation of peripheral vascular disease diagnosis
✓Clinical findings (diminished pulses, claudication, rest pain, skin changes)
✓Vascular studies if performed (ankle-brachial index, duplex ultrasound)
✓Affected extremities
✓Severity assessment (claudication distance, Fontaine or Rutherford classification)
✓Treatment plan (exercise, pharmacotherapy, revascularization consideration)

Excludes 1 — Do NOT code together

atherosclerosis of the extremities (I70.2--I70.7-)

Commonly Confused Codes

I70.2xx — Atherosclerosis of native arteries of extremities: more specific atherosclerotic disease codes with severity staging I73.89 — Other specified peripheral vascular diseases: use when a named condition is documented I87.2 — Venous insufficiency (chronic)(peripheral): venous disease, not arterial I73.1 — Thromboangiitis obliterans: specific inflammatory vascular disease

Code Hierarchy

└I73Other peripheral vascular diseases └I73.9Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified

└I73.9Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified