I73.9 ICD-10-CM Code: Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified
HCC Buddy Code Card
Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.
FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) / Diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries (I70-I79)
I73.9
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidancePeripheral vascular disease, unspecified
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.
Buddy Insight
Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified, is a commonly used but nonspecific code that indicates arterial insufficiency of the extremities without further characterization.
CMS-HCC V28
00
RAF 0
CMS-HCC V24
MappedHCC 108
RAF 0.297
ACA/HHS
00
RAF 0
ESRD/PACE
MappedHCC 108
RAF 0.0
RXHCC
00
RAF 0
Code Trumping
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Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
Official- Intermittent claudication
- Peripheral angiopathy NOS
- Spasm of artery
Excludes 2
Official- chilblains (T69.1)
- frostbite (T33-T34)
- immersion hand or foot (T69.0-)
- spasm of cerebral artery (G45.9)
Related Child Codes
Includes
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for I73.9 in this effective period.
Excludes 1
Official- atherosclerosis of the extremities (I70.2--I70.7-)
Code First
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for I73.9 in this effective period.
Use Additional
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for I73.9 in this effective period.
Code Also
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for I73.9 in this effective period.
Buddy Documentation Tip
MEAT Support
Audit Caution
Common Mistakes
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.
Is I73.9 an HCC code?
Yes. I73.9 maps to Vascular Disease under the V24 model but is not retained in V28.
HCC Category Mapping
RAF weights shown are the community, non-dual, aged base weights from the CMS risk adjustment model file. 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.
MEAT Criteria for I73.9
For I73.9to 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 I73.9 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
I73.9 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for peripheral vascular disease, unspecified. 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. I73.9 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the circulatory system (i00-i99), within the section covering diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries (i70-i79).
Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, I73.9 maps to Vascular Disease (HCC 108) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.297. 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.
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. Because I73.9 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 I73.9 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
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)
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