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I83.024 ICD-10-CM Code: Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of heel and midfoot

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

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FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) / Diseases of veins, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, not elsewhere classified (I80-I89)

I83.024

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

Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of heel and midfoot

Enlarged veins in the left leg with an open sore on the heel or middle part of the foot. This occurs when varicose veins cause skin breakdown in these specific areas.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Varicose veins with ulceration represent a significant complication of chronic venous insufficiency where skin breakdown has occurred due to sustained venous hypertension.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 383

RAF 0.517

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 107

RAF 0.450

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

HCC 107

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

0

0

RAF 0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official
I83.0Varicose veins of lower extremities with ulcer
I83.02Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer
I83.024Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of heel and midfoot

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of plantar surface of midfoot

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for I83.024 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
I83.021Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of thigh
I83.022Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of calf
I83.023Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of ankle
I83.025Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer other part of foot
I83.028Varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer other part of lower leg

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for I83.024 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for I83.024 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for I83.024 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for I83.024 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for I83.024 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation of varicose veins with active ulceration of the left lower extremity
Specific ulcer location documented (heel and midfoot) — anatomical site determines code specificity
Description of ulcer characteristics: size, depth, wound bed appearance, drainage, and stage if applicable
Confirmation that the ulcer is a direct complication of the varicose veins (causal relationship)

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation of varicose veins with active ulceration of the left lower extremity
Specific ulcer location documented (heel and midfoot) — anatomical site determines code specificity
Description of ulcer characteristics: size, depth, wound bed appearance, drainage, and stage if applicable
Confirmation that the ulcer is a direct complication of the varicose veins (causal relationship)

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Coding the ulcer location incorrectly — the 6th character specifies the anatomical site (thigh, calf, ankle, heel/midfoot, other foot, other lower leg) and must match documentation exactly
Using an unspecified laterality code when left is documented — always capture the specific side
Missing concurrent inflammation that would warrant using the combined ulcer-and-inflammation code (I83.2xx) instead of the ulcer-only code
Failing to assign an additional code for ulcer severity/stage when applicable per coding guidelines

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
I83.224 — Varicose veins with BOTH ulcer and inflammation; use when both ulceration and inflammation are documented together
L97.x — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb; use when the ulcer is NOT caused by varicose veins (different etiology)
I87.2 — Venous insufficiency (chronic/peripheral); use when there is venous insufficiency without varicose veins or ulceration
Verify laterality carefully — do not confuse with right lower extremity codes which have different 5th/6th characters

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 I83.024 an HCC code?

Yes. I83.024 maps to Diabetic Skin Ulcer and Severe Skin Conditions under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Vascular Disease with Complications under V24).

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 383, Diabetic Skin Ulcer and Severe Skin Conditions
0.517
V24HCC 107, Vascular Disease with Complications
0.450
ESRDHCC 107, Vascular Disease with Complications
0.000

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 I83.024

For I83.024to 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 I83.024 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

I83.024 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for varicose veins of left lower extremity with ulcer of heel and midfoot. Enlarged veins in the left leg with an open sore on the heel or middle part of the foot. This occurs when varicose veins cause skin breakdown in these specific areas. I83.024 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the circulatory system (i00-i99), within the section covering diseases of veins, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, not elsewhere classified (i80-i89).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, I83.024 maps to Diabetic Skin Ulcer and Severe Skin Conditions (HCC 383) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.517. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, I83.024 maps to Vascular Disease with Complications (HCC 107) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.450. 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.

Verify documentation specifies the ulcer location as heel and/or midfoot to distinguish from other foot locations. Because I83.024 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 I83.024 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Verify documentation specifies the ulcer location as heel and/or midfoot to distinguish from other foot locations
  • Confirm laterality is documented as left lower extremity; if bilateral, code both sides separately

Clinical Significance

Varicose veins with ulceration represent a significant complication of chronic venous insufficiency where skin breakdown has occurred due to sustained venous hypertension. These venous ulcers are slow-healing wounds that require ongoing wound care, compression therapy, and monitoring for infection. This diagnosis is a high-impact HCC that reflects the increased resource utilization and clinical complexity of managing chronic venous ulceration.

Documentation Requirements

  • Provider documentation of varicose veins with active ulceration of the left lower extremity
  • Specific ulcer location documented (heel and midfoot) — anatomical site determines code specificity
  • Description of ulcer characteristics: size, depth, wound bed appearance, drainage, and stage if applicable
  • Confirmation that the ulcer is a direct complication of the varicose veins (causal relationship)
  • Current wound care treatment plan and any changes in management
  • Assessment for signs of inflammation, infection, or cellulitis which would require additional or different codes

Commonly Confused Codes

  • I83.224: Varicose veins with BOTH ulcer and inflammation; use when both ulceration and inflammation are documented together
  • L97.x: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb; use when the ulcer is NOT caused by varicose veins (different etiology)
  • I87.2: Venous insufficiency (chronic/peripheral); use when there is venous insufficiency without varicose veins or ulceration
  • Verify laterality carefully: do not confuse with right lower extremity codes which have different 5th/6th characters
  • L89.x: Pressure ulcer codes; distinguish from venous stasis ulcers which are caused by varicose veins, not prolonged pressure

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

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