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M25.529 ICD-10-CM Code: Pain in unspecified elbow

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

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FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99) / Other joint disorders (M20-M25)

M25.529

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

Pain in unspecified elbow

Elbow pain when the specific elbow (right or left) is not documented or both elbows are affected.

CMS-HCC V28

0

0

RAF 0

CMS-HCC V24

0

0

RAF 0

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

0

0

RAF 0

RXHCC

0

0

RAF 0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official
M25.5Pain in joint
M25.52Pain in elbow
M25.529Pain in unspecified elbow

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for M25.529 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for M25.529 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
M25.521Pain in right elbow
M25.522Pain in left elbow

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for M25.529 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for M25.529 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for M25.529 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for M25.529 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for M25.529 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
This is a non-specific code; query the provider to determine laterality if possible
If bilateral elbow pain is documented, code both M25.521 and M25.522

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 M25.529 an HCC code?

No. M25.529 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any HCC category in V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC.

Coder workflow notes

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This code does not map to an HCC category in any model (V28, V24, ESRD, RxHCC).

What This Code Means

M25.529 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for pain in unspecified elbow. Elbow pain when the specific elbow (right or left) is not documented or both elbows are affected. M25.529 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (m00-m99), within the section covering other joint disorders (m20-m25).

M25.529 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to a payment HCC under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions but it does not contribute to a beneficiary's RAF score and therefore does not affect risk-adjusted payments to the plan.

This is a non-specific code; query the provider to determine laterality if possible.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for M25.529 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • This is a non-specific code; query the provider to determine laterality if possible
  • If bilateral elbow pain is documented, code both M25.521 and M25.522

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Work M25.529 in HCC Buddy

Open M25.529 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 14 days to try everything.