M02.149
BillablePostdysenteric arthropathy, unspecified hand
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is M02.149 an HCC code?
Yes. M02.149 maps to Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis under V24).
HCC Category Mapping
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 M02.149
For M02.149to 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 M02.149 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
M02.149 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for postdysenteric arthropathy, unspecified hand. Joint inflammation and pain in the hand (side not specified) that develops after a dysentery infection. M02.149 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (m00-m99), within the section covering infectious arthropathies (m00-m02).
Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, M02.149 maps to Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis (HCC 92) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.209. Under the older V24 model, M02.149 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.482 — V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. 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 documentation does not specify right or left hand involvement. Because M02.149 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 M02.149 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 documentation does not specify right or left hand involvement
- •Query the provider if laterality can be determined from clinical notes or imaging reports
Clinical Significance
This code captures postdysenteric arthropathy affecting the hand when laterality is not specified, representing a chronic reactive arthritis that significantly impacts hand function following dysentery infection. Despite unspecified laterality, this condition still requires comprehensive chronic disease management.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓History of dysentery or infectious diarrheal illness
- ✓Hand joint involvement without laterality specification
- ✓Clinical evidence of arthropathy affecting hand structures
- ✓Post-infectious temporal relationship documented
- ✓Chronic or ongoing nature of joint condition
- ✓Functional impact assessment on hand use
- ✓Physical findings consistent with inflammatory arthritis
Commonly Confused Codes
- •M02.141 — Postdysenteric arthropathy, right hand (use when right side documented)
- •M02.142 — Postdysenteric arthropathy, left hand (use when left side documented)
- •M02.139 — Postdysenteric arthropathy, unspecified wrist (different anatomical site)
- •M00.049 — Staphylococcal arthritis, unspecified hand (septic arthritis)
- •M25.549 — Pain in unspecified hand (symptom code, not diagnostic)