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L89.223 ICD-10-CM Code: Pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 3

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FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99) / Other disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L80-L99)

L89.223

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

Pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 3

A stage 3 pressure ulcer on the left hip, involving full-thickness skin loss that extends into the subcutaneous tissue but does not expose bone or muscle.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Stage 3 pressure ulcers of the left hip involve full-thickness skin loss extending into subcutaneous tissue.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 381

RAF 0.0

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 158

RAF 0.662

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

HCC 158

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

0

0

RAF 0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official
L89.2Pressure ulcer of hip
L89.22Pressure ulcer of left hip
L89.223Pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 3

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Healing pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 3
  • Pressure ulcer with full thickness skin loss involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue, left hip

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for L89.223 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
L89.220Pressure ulcer of left hip, unstageable
L89.221Pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 1
L89.222Pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 2
L89.224Pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 4
L89.226Pressure-induced deep tissue damage of left hip

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for L89.223 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for L89.223 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for L89.223 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for L89.223 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for L89.223 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Anatomical location specified as left hip
Stage explicitly documented as stage 3
Complete wound dimensions including depth
Wound bed characteristics and tissue types

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Anatomical location specified as left hip
Stage explicitly documented as stage 3
Complete wound dimensions including depth
Wound bed characteristics and tissue types

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Not differentiating between subcutaneous tissue visibility (stage 3) and deeper structure exposure (stage 4)
Coding stage 3 without provider documentation explicitly stating the stage
Missing undermining that extends well beyond the wound edges
Not coding concurrent malnutrition that is commonly present

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
L89.224 — Stage 4 left hip; bone/muscle/tendon is exposed
L89.222 — Stage 2 left hip; partial-thickness only
L89.220 — Unstageable left hip; wound bed obscured
L89.213 — Stage 3 right hip; laterality difference

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 L89.223 an HCC code?

Yes. L89.223 maps to Pressure Ulcer of Skin, Unstageable/Unspecified under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Pressure Ulcer of Skin with Full Thickness Skin Loss under V24).

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 381, Pressure Ulcer of Skin, Unstageable/Unspecified
0.000
V24HCC 158, Pressure Ulcer of Skin with Full Thickness Skin Loss
0.662
ESRDHCC 158, Pressure Ulcer of Skin with Full Thickness Skin Loss
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 L89.223

For L89.223to 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 L89.223 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

L89.223 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for pressure ulcer of left hip, stage 3. A stage 3 pressure ulcer on the left hip, involving full-thickness skin loss that extends into the subcutaneous tissue but does not expose bone or muscle. L89.223 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (l00-l99), within the section covering other disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (l80-l99).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, L89.223 maps to Pressure Ulcer of Skin, Unstageable/Unspecified (HCC 381) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.000. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, L89.223 maps to Pressure Ulcer of Skin with Full Thickness Skin Loss (HCC 158) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.662. 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.

Stage 3 represents full-thickness skin loss; document the depth and presence of undermining or tunneling if present. Because L89.223 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 L89.223 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Stage 3 represents full-thickness skin loss; document the depth and presence of undermining or tunneling if present
  • Ensure documentation clearly indicates stage 3 severity; this stage may involve significant tissue damage requiring intensive wound care

Clinical Significance

Stage 3 pressure ulcers of the left hip involve full-thickness skin loss extending into subcutaneous tissue. The hip's limited soft tissue coverage makes these wounds particularly concerning because of the proximity to the hip joint and the potential for rapid progression. These indicate significant patient morbidity and require intensive wound management and nutritional support.

Documentation Requirements

  • Anatomical location specified as left hip
  • Stage explicitly documented as stage 3
  • Complete wound dimensions including depth
  • Wound bed characteristics and tissue types
  • Undermining or tunneling documentation
  • Drainage assessment
  • Signs of infection
  • Nutritional status
  • Comprehensive wound care plan

Commonly Confused Codes

  • L89.224: Stage 4 left hip; bone/muscle/tendon is exposed
  • L89.222: Stage 2 left hip; partial-thickness only
  • L89.220: Unstageable left hip; wound bed obscured
  • L89.213: Stage 3 right hip; laterality difference

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

More on L89.223

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