What is ICD-10 code L97.108?

L97.108 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with other specified severity. A long-lasting, non-pressure-related wound on the thigh with a severity level that does not fit into the standard categories. L97.108 is a billable code, meaning it can be reported on a claim as a primary or secondary diagnosis when supported by documentation. L97.108 is part of the FY2026 ICD-10-CM code set published by the CMS National Center for Health Statistics and used on Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial claims in the United States.

Yes. L97.108 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. L97.108 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for L97.108?

CMS phased in the V28 risk adjustment model over payment years 2024 (33%), 2025 (67%), and 2026 (100%), replacing V24. V28 consolidates HCC categories, removes some lower-acuity conditions, and recalibrates RAF weights across the entire model. For L97.108, V28 maps to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure, Not Specified as Through to Bone or Muscle at RAF 0.646 while V24 mapped to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure at RAF 0.515. Both models can still appear in legacy data and in payer-specific lookback periods.

What should coders know when reporting L97.108?

Use this code only when the ulcer severity is documented but does not match codes L97.101-L97.106 Document the specific severity characteristics in the medical record to justify use of this code Because L97.108 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.

2026 ICD-10-CM L97.108: Non-pressure chronic ulcer

ICD-10-CM Code View

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Code lookupL97.108Effective periodFY2026 Apr Update (Apr 1-Sep 30)

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

L97.108

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

Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with other specified severity

A long-lasting, non-pressure-related wound on the thigh with a severity level that does not fit into the standard categories.

Buddy Insight

A non-pressure chronic ulcer of the unspecified thigh with other specified severity captures non-healing wounds where the depth is either atypical or not fully characterized.

CMS-HCC V28

Mapped

HCC 383

Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except...

RAF 0.646

CMS-HCC V24

Mapped

HCC 161

Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except...

RAF 0.515

ACA/HHS

Mapped

HCC 217

HHS-HCC 217

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

Mapped

HCC 161

Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except...

RAF 0.127

RXHCC

Mapped

HCC 311

Diabetic and Chronic Skin Ulcer

RAF 0.175

Code Book Path

Official

L97.1Non-pressure chronic ulcer of thigh

L97.10Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh

L97.108Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with other specified severity

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for L97.108 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for L97.108 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official

L97.101Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh limited to breakdown of skin

L97.102Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with fat layer exposed

L97.103Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with necrosis of muscle

L97.104Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with necrosis of bone

L97.105Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with muscle involvement without evidence of necrosis

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for L97.108 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for L97.108 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for L97.108 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for L97.108 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for L97.108 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance

Exact anatomical location with laterality (right, left, or bilateral thigh)

Etiology of the ulcer (venous insufficiency, peripheral arterial disease, neuropathic, post-traumatic)

Wound dimensions: length x width x depth in centimeters

Wound bed description and depth of tissue involvement

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance

Exact anatomical location with laterality (right, left, or bilateral thigh)

Etiology of the ulcer (venous insufficiency, peripheral arterial disease, neuropathic, post-traumatic)

Wound dimensions: length x width x depth in centimeters

Wound bed description and depth of tissue involvement

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance

Unspecified severity (6th character 9) should only be used when the provider does not document wound depth — always query for specificity

'Other specified severity' (6th character 8) is for documented wound characteristics that do not fit characters 1-6

Do not default to unspecified when more specific documentation is available in the record

Always code the underlying etiology of the ulcer as an additional diagnosis

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance

L97.118 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right thigh, same severity; assign when laterality is documented as right

L97.128 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of left thigh, same severity; assign when laterality is documented as left

L89.894 — Pressure ulcer of other site requires pressure as the etiology, not vascular or other causes

L97.9xx — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified site should not be used for thigh when thigh is documented

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 L97.108 an HCC code?

Yes. L97.108 (Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with other specified severity) maps to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure, Not Specified as Through to Bone or Muscle under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.646. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: L97.108 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 383, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure, Not Specified as Through to Bone or Muscle. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code: L97.108
Description: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with other specified severity
HCC (V28): HCC 383 — Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure, Not Specified as Through to Bone or Muscle
RAF: 0.646
Billable: Yes
Payment year: 2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 383, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure, Not Specified as Through to Bone or Muscle

0.646

V24HCC 161, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure

0.515

ESRDHCC 161, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure

0.127

RxHCCHCC 311, Diabetic and Chronic Skin Ulcer

0.175

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 L97.108 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for L97.108

For L97.108 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 L97.108 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

L97.108 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified thigh with other specified severity. A long-lasting, non-pressure-related wound on the thigh with a severity level that does not fit into the standard categories. L97.108 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, L97.108 maps to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure, Not Specified as Through to Bone or Muscle (HCC 383) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.646. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, L97.108 maps to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure (HCC 161) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.515. 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.

Use this code only when the ulcer severity is documented but does not match codes L97.101-L97.106. Because L97.108 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 L97.108 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

•Use this code only when the ulcer severity is documented but does not match codes L97.101-L97.106
•Document the specific severity characteristics in the medical record to justify use of this code

Clinical Significance

A non-pressure chronic ulcer of the unspecified thigh with other specified severity captures non-healing wounds where the depth is either atypical or not fully characterized. These codes should prompt providers to better document wound depth for more specific coding. Under V28, this maps to HCC 383 (Severe Skin Burn or Condition) with a RAF of 0.517, and under V24 to HCC 161 (Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure) with a RAF of 0.426.

Documentation Requirements

✓Exact anatomical location with laterality (right, left, or bilateral thigh)
✓Etiology of the ulcer (venous insufficiency, peripheral arterial disease, neuropathic, post-traumatic)
✓Wound dimensions: length x width x depth in centimeters
✓Wound bed description and depth of tissue involvement
✓Reason severity is 'other specified' — describe the unique characteristics if applicable
✓Chronicity documentation with duration of wound
✓Current wound care plan
✓Vascular assessment results if applicable
✓Contributing comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease)

Commonly Confused Codes

•L97.118: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right thigh, same severity; assign when laterality is documented as right
•L97.128: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of left thigh, same severity; assign when laterality is documented as left
•L89.894: Pressure ulcer of other site requires pressure as the etiology, not vascular or other causes
•L97.9xx: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified site should not be used for thigh when thigh is documented