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L97.513 ICD-10-CM Code: Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with necrosis of muscle

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HCC Buddy Code Card

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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)

L97.513

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

Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with necrosis of muscle

A long-lasting open sore on the right foot (not from pressure) where muscle tissue is dead, affecting an area other than the heel or sole.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

This represents a severe non-pressure ulcer with necrotic (dead) muscle tissue, indicating significant tissue destruction and compromised vascular supply.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 380

RAF 0.426

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 161

RAF 0.426

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

HCC 161

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

HCC 311

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official
L97.5Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of foot
L97.51Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot
L97.513Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with necrosis of muscle

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for L97.513 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for L97.513 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
L97.511Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot limited to breakdown of skin
L97.512Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with fat layer exposed
L97.514Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with necrosis of bone
L97.515Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with muscle involvement without evidence of necrosis
L97.516Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with bone involvement without evidence of necrosis

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for L97.513 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for L97.513 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for L97.513 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for L97.513 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for L97.513 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Specific anatomic location documented as other part of right foot
Confirmation that the ulcer is non-pressure in etiology (not caused by pressure/immobility)
Chronicity established — ulcer present for extended duration or described as chronic
Current wound assessment including size (length x width x depth in centimeters)

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Specific anatomic location documented as other part of right foot
Confirmation that the ulcer is non-pressure in etiology (not caused by pressure/immobility)
Chronicity established — ulcer present for extended duration or described as chronic
Current wound assessment including size (length x width x depth in centimeters)

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Confusing non-pressure ulcers (L97) with pressure ulcers (L89) — verify the etiology is NOT pressure/immobility-related before assigning L97 codes
Confusing muscle involvement with muscle necrosis — necrosis specifically means tissue death; muscle involvement without necrosis uses a different 7th character
Failing to distinguish between muscle necrosis and bone necrosis — verify which tissue type is necrotic
Failing to code the underlying cause (diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, venous insufficiency) — L97 codes often require an additional etiology code per ICD-10-CM guidelines

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
L97.515 — Muscle involvement WITHOUT necrosis at same location; use when muscle is involved but viable (no tissue death)
L97.514 — Necrosis of BONE at same location; use when bone (not just muscle) shows necrosis
L97.512 — Fat layer exposed at same location; use when ulcer has not progressed to muscle depth
L89.xxx (Pressure ulcer codes) — Pressure ulcers use the L89 category; L97 is specifically for NON-pressure chronic ulcers

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 L97.513 an HCC code?

Yes. L97.513 maps to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure under V24).

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 380, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure
0.426
V24HCC 161, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure
0.426
ESRDHCC 161, Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure
0.000
RxHCCHCC 311, Diabetic and Chronic Skin Ulcer
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 L97.513

For L97.513to 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 L97.513 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

L97.513 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of right foot with necrosis of muscle. A long-lasting open sore on the right foot (not from pressure) where muscle tissue is dead, affecting an area other than the heel or sole. L97.513 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, L97.513 maps to Chronic Ulcer of Skin, Except Pressure (HCC 380) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.426. The V24 model used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition mapped L97.513 the same way and at the same RAF weight. 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.

Verify documentation explicitly states muscle necrosis (death); distinguish from muscle involvement without necrosis (L97.515). Because L97.513 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 L97.513 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Verify documentation explicitly states muscle necrosis (death); distinguish from muscle involvement without necrosis (L97.515)
  • Confirm right foot and non-heel/non-sole location

Clinical Significance

This represents a severe non-pressure ulcer with necrotic (dead) muscle tissue, indicating significant tissue destruction and compromised vascular supply. Muscle necrosis requires aggressive wound management including debridement and may indicate systemic complications such as peripheral vascular disease or uncontrolled diabetes. Accurate laterality documentation (right other part of foot) is essential for proper code assignment and tracking wound progression over time.

Documentation Requirements

  • Specific anatomic location documented as other part of right foot
  • Confirmation that the ulcer is non-pressure in etiology (not caused by pressure/immobility)
  • Chronicity established — ulcer present for extended duration or described as chronic
  • Current wound assessment including size (length x width x depth in centimeters)
  • Explicit documentation of muscle necrosis (dead/devitalized muscle tissue)
  • Clinical assessment or pathology confirming necrotic vs. viable muscle tissue
  • Wound debridement notes if applicable
  • Underlying etiology or contributing factors (diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, venous insufficiency)
  • Current treatment plan including wound care regimen

Commonly Confused Codes

  • L97.515: Muscle involvement WITHOUT necrosis at same location; use when muscle is involved but viable (no tissue death)
  • L97.514: Necrosis of BONE at same location; use when bone (not just muscle) shows necrosis
  • L97.512: Fat layer exposed at same location; use when ulcer has not progressed to muscle depth
  • L89.xxx (Pressure ulcer codes): Pressure ulcers use the L89 category; L97 is specifically for NON-pressure chronic ulcers
  • L97.523: Same severity but LEFT side; verify laterality matches documentation
  • E11.621 (Type 2 diabetes mellitus with foot ulcer): If ulcer is due to diabetes, code the diabetic complication first and the L97 code as an additional code to specify site and severity

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

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