L97.929

Billable

Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of left lower leg with unspecified severity

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 383 — Diabetic Skin Ulcer and Severe Skin Conditions

0.517

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

What This Code Means

A chronic open sore on the left lower leg that is not caused by pressure, with the severity level not specified.

Coding Tips

•Query provider if severity is not documented; more specific codes (L97.921-L97.928) are preferred
•Confirm non-pressure etiology and document underlying cause when possible

Clinical Significance

Non-pressure chronic ulcers of the left lower leg with unspecified severity represent a documentation gap that should trigger a provider query. While the code still maps to an HCC and contributes to risk adjustment, unspecified severity limits clinical utility and may not accurately reflect the patient's wound complexity. Coders should pursue additional documentation to assign a more specific severity code whenever possible.

Documentation Requirements

✓Provider documentation of the ulcer as chronic (present for extended duration, not acute)
✓Anatomical location clearly specified as left lower leg
✓Confirmation that the ulcer is non-pressure in etiology (e.g., venous, arterial, inflammatory, or other documented cause)
✓Description of wound bed characteristics and tissue involvement depth
✓Note: Unspecified severity indicates documentation gap — query provider for wound depth and tissue involvement details
✓Wound measurements (length, width, depth) and assessment of wound edges and surrounding tissue
✓Current treatment plan including wound care interventions

Commonly Confused Codes

L89.x — Pressure ulcer codes; use when ulcer is caused by sustained pressure (decubitus), not for non-pressure chronic ulcers L97.921 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of left lower leg limited to skin breakdown; differs by severity level L97.922 — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of left lower leg with fat layer exposed; different depth of tissue involvement L97.91x — Non-pressure chronic ulcer of right lower leg; differs by laterality (right vs. left)

Code Hierarchy

└L97Non-pressure chronic ulcer of lower limb, not elsewhere classified └L97.9Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of lower leg └L97.92Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of left lower leg └L97.929Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of left lower leg with unspecified severity

└L97.929Non-pressure chronic ulcer of unspecified part of left lower leg with unspecified severity