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K25.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation

K25.2 maps to CMS-HCC V28 78 (RAF 0.326). Documentation must support MEAT. MEAT criteria · RAF calculator · HCC coding software

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FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K95) / Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31)

K25.2

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

Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation

A sudden, severe ulcer in the stomach that is both bleeding and has perforated through the stomach wall.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation represents the most severe acute ulcer presentation, with simultaneous active bleeding and full-thickness wall penetration.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 78

RAF 0.326

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 33

RAF 0.219

ACA/HHS

HCC 42

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

HCC 33

RAF 0.078

RXHCC

N/A

Not mapped

Code Book Path

Official
K25Gastric ulcer
K25.2Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for K25.2 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for K25.2 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
K25.0Acute gastric ulcer with hemorrhage
K25.1Acute gastric ulcer with perforation
K25.3Acute gastric ulcer without hemorrhage or perforation
K25.4Chronic or unspecified gastric ulcer with hemorrhage
K25.5Chronic or unspecified gastric ulcer with perforation

Includes

Official
  • erosion (acute) of stomach
  • pylorus ulcer (peptic)
  • stomach ulcer (peptic)

Excludes 1

Official
  • acute gastritis (K29.0-)
  • peptic ulcer NOS (K27.-)

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for K25.2 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official
  • code to identify:
  • alcohol abuse and dependence (F10.-)

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for K25.2 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation confirming BOTH hemorrhage AND perforation are present simultaneously
Evidence of hemorrhage (hematemesis, melena, hemoglobin drop, endoscopic findings)
Evidence of perforation (free air on imaging, peritoneal signs, operative findings)
Acuity documented as acute

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation confirming BOTH hemorrhage AND perforation are present simultaneously
Evidence of hemorrhage (hematemesis, melena, hemoglobin drop, endoscopic findings)
Evidence of perforation (free air on imaging, peritoneal signs, operative findings)
Acuity documented as acute

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Using K25.0 (hemorrhage only) or K25.1 (perforation only) when both complications are documented
Not verifying that BOTH complications are truly present and documented before using this combination code
Failing to query the provider when documentation mentions 'bleeding ulcer with complications' without explicitly stating perforation
Adding separate codes for hemorrhage and perforation when this combination code already captures both

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
K25.0 — Acute gastric ulcer with hemorrhage: use when only bleeding is present, no perforation
K25.1 — Acute gastric ulcer with perforation: use when only perforation is present, no hemorrhage
K25.6 — Chronic or unspecified gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation: different acuity
K26.2 — Acute duodenal ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation: different anatomic location

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 K25.2 an HCC code?

Yes. K25.2 (Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation) maps to Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.326. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: K25.2 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 78, Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
K25.2
Description
Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation
HCC (V28)
HCC 78 — Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation
RAF
0.326
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 78, Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation
0.326
V24HCC 33, Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation
0.219
ESRDHCC 33, Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation
0.078

Each model's RAF is its CMS base weight for that model's standard population, so 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 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.

Work K25.2 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for K25.2

For K25.2 to 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 K25.2 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

K25.2 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation. A sudden, severe ulcer in the stomach that is both bleeding and has perforated through the stomach wall. K25.2 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the digestive system (k00-k95), within the section covering diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (k20-k31).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, K25.2 maps to Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation (HCC 78) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.326. Under the older V24 model, K25.2 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.219, V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. 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.

This represents the most severe acute gastric ulcer presentation requiring urgent intervention. Because K25.2 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 K25.2 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • This represents the most severe acute gastric ulcer presentation requiring urgent intervention
  • Document both the hemorrhage management and surgical repair of perforation

Clinical Significance

Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation represents the most severe acute ulcer presentation, with simultaneous active bleeding and full-thickness wall penetration. This dual complication carries the highest mortality risk among gastric ulcer presentations and requires emergent multi-modal intervention. Accurate capture is critical for reflecting true case severity.

Documentation Requirements

  • Provider documentation confirming BOTH hemorrhage AND perforation are present simultaneously
  • Evidence of hemorrhage (hematemesis, melena, hemoglobin drop, endoscopic findings)
  • Evidence of perforation (free air on imaging, peritoneal signs, operative findings)
  • Acuity documented as acute
  • Location confirmed as gastric (stomach)
  • Documentation of surgical and hemostatic interventions performed

Commonly Confused Codes

  • K25.0: Acute gastric ulcer with hemorrhage: use when only bleeding is present, no perforation
  • K25.1: Acute gastric ulcer with perforation: use when only perforation is present, no hemorrhage
  • K25.6: Chronic or unspecified gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation: different acuity
  • K26.2: Acute duodenal ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation: different anatomic location

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

K25Gastric ulcerK25.2Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation
K25.2Acute gastric ulcer with both hemorrhage and perforation

Because K25.2 maps to a payment HCC, the documentation must also satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's risk adjustment score.

K25.2 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 78, Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. Because K25.2 carries a payment HCC, you can see what it adds to a RAF score and check the documentation the chart needs before it is submitted.

Work K25.2 in HCC Buddy

Open K25.2 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.