K90.9

Billable

Intestinal malabsorption, unspecified

HCC Category Mapping

RxHCCHCC 66 — Pancreatic Disease and Disorders

0.000

What This Code Means

A condition where the intestines cannot properly absorb nutrients from food, but the specific cause is not identified or documented.

Coding Tips

•Use this code only when the type of malabsorption is unknown or unspecified; review documentation for more specific malabsorption codes (K90.0-K90.8)
•Consider querying the provider if additional testing or clinical findings could identify a more specific malabsorption disorder

Clinical Significance

Unspecified intestinal malabsorption indicates impaired nutrient absorption without identification of the specific cause or mechanism. This diagnosis requires further workup to identify the underlying etiology and guide appropriate treatment strategies.

Documentation Requirements

✓Evidence of impaired nutrient absorption
✓Clinical symptoms consistent with malabsorption
✓Laboratory findings showing nutritional deficiencies
✓Exclusion workup for specific causes documented
✓Steatorrhea or other malabsorption indicators
✓Weight loss or failure to thrive if applicable
✓Documentation of why specific cause cannot be determined
✓Plans for further diagnostic evaluation

Commonly Confused Codes

K90.0-K90.89 — More specific codes should be used when etiology is known K59.1 — Functional diarrhea doesn't involve malabsorption K91.2 — Postsurgical malabsorption when surgery is the cause R19.7 — Diarrhea without evidence of malabsorption

Code Hierarchy

└K90Intestinal malabsorption └K90.9Intestinal malabsorption, unspecified

└K90.9Intestinal malabsorption, unspecified