K70.9

Billable

Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 28 — Cirrhosis of Liver

0.390

ESRDHCC 28 — Cirrhosis of Liver

0.000

What This Code Means

Liver disease caused by chronic alcohol use where the specific type or stage of damage is not clearly specified in the medical documentation.

Coding Tips

•This is a non-specific code; use only when the documentation does not provide enough detail to assign a more specific K70 code
•Query the provider if possible to determine the specific type of alcoholic liver disease for more accurate coding

Clinical Significance

Unspecified alcoholic liver disease represents alcohol-related hepatic damage where the specific type or stage is not clearly documented. This diagnosis still indicates significant liver pathology requiring alcohol cessation and monitoring for progression to more severe forms.

Documentation Requirements

✓Documentation of liver disease diagnosis
✓Clear alcohol etiology established
✓Absence of specific disease type documentation
✓Clinical evidence of liver involvement
✓Laboratory abnormalities consistent with liver disease
✓Alcohol use history and assessment
✓Treatment plan addressing alcohol use
✓Follow-up monitoring for disease progression

Commonly Confused Codes

K70.10 — Alcoholic hepatitis is specific inflammatory condition K70.30 — Alcoholic cirrhosis requires scarring documentation K76.9 — Unspecified liver disease lacks alcohol relationship F10.20 — Alcohol use disorder should be coded separately K75.9 — Inflammatory liver disease without alcohol cause

Code Hierarchy

└K70Alcoholic liver disease └K70.9Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified

└K70.9Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified