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M86.48 ICD-10-CM Code: Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, other site

M86.48 maps to CMS-HCC V28 92. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · free HCC coding tools

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Code lookupM86.48

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99) / Other osteopathies (M86-M90)

M86.48

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

Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, other site

A chronic bone infection at a site other than the femur, tibia, fibula, ankle, or foot that has created an open drainage channel through the skin, allowing infected material to drain continuously.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus at other sites represents a severe bone infection with persistent external drainage affecting anatomic locations not specifically classified elsewhere.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 92

Code-level coefficient reference

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 055

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 39

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

N/A

Not mapped

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for M86.48. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official
  • arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • ostemyelitis of:Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • orbit (H05.0-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • petrous bone (H70.2-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • vertebra (M46.2-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for M86.48. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official
  • postprocedural osteopathies (M96.-)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • osteomyelitis due to:Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • echinococcus (B67.2)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • gonococcus (A54.43)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • salmonella (A02.24)Inherited from M86-M90, M86

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for M86.48. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official
  • code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agentInherited from M86
  • code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-)Inherited from M86

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for M86.48. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Clear documentation of chronic osteomyelitis diagnosis
Evidence of draining sinus tract with ongoing drainage
Specification of anatomic site not covered by other specific codes
Detailed description of the affected bone and sinus location

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Clear documentation of chronic osteomyelitis diagnosis
Evidence of draining sinus tract with ongoing drainage
Specification of anatomic site not covered by other specific codes
Detailed description of the affected bone and sinus location

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Using this code when more specific anatomic codes are available
Missing the draining sinus component when selecting codes
Confusing 'other site' with 'multiple sites' designation
Failing to verify that the site truly doesn't fit other specific categories

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M86.49 — Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, multiple sites (involves multiple sites)
M86.68 — Other chronic osteomyelitis, other site (lacks draining sinus component)
M86.471-472 — Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, ankle and foot (specific anatomy)
M86.461-462 — Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, tibia and fibula (specific anatomy)

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 M86.48 an HCC code?

Yes. M86.48 (Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, other site) maps to HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.479. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: M86.48 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
M86.48
Description
Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, other site
HCC (V28)
HCC 92 — Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis
RAF reference coefficient
0.479
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis
0.479
ESRDHCC 39, Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis
Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. 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 context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work M86.48 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for M86.48

For M86.48, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

  • 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

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

M86.48 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, other site. A chronic bone infection at a site other than the femur, tibia, fibula, ankle, or foot that has created an open drainage channel through the skin, allowing infected material to drain continuously. M86.48 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (m00-m99), within the section covering other osteopathies (m86-m90).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, M86.48 maps to Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis (HCC 92) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.479. No V24 mapping is shown for M86.48; use the applicable model and payment year when reviewing the V28 mapping. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Use this code for chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus affecting bones not specified in codes M86.45-M86.47 (such as pelvis, spine, or upper extremities). For M86.48, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule. 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, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for M86.48 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Use this code for chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus affecting bones not specified in codes M86.45-M86.47 (such as pelvis, spine, or upper extremities)
  • Document the specific anatomical site in the medical record to support medical necessity and justify the use of this 'other site' code

Clinical Significance

Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus at other sites represents a severe bone infection with persistent external drainage affecting anatomic locations not specifically classified elsewhere. This condition indicates significant morbidity requiring intensive medical management, prolonged antibiotic therapy, and potential surgical intervention, substantially impacting patient health status and quality of life.

Documentation Requirements

  • Clear documentation of chronic osteomyelitis diagnosis
  • Evidence of draining sinus tract with ongoing drainage
  • Specification of anatomic site not covered by other specific codes
  • Detailed description of the affected bone and sinus location
  • Microbiological studies and culture results
  • Imaging studies demonstrating infection extent and drainage pathway
  • Comprehensive treatment history and current management
  • Assessment of functional impact and complications

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M86.49: Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, multiple sites (involves multiple sites)
  • M86.68: Other chronic osteomyelitis, other site (lacks draining sinus component)
  • M86.471-472: Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, ankle and foot (specific anatomy)
  • M86.461-462: Chronic osteomyelitis with draining sinus, tibia and fibula (specific anatomy)

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

For M86.48, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

M86.48 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for M86.48. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Work M86.48 in HCC Buddy

Open M86.48 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 7 days to try everything, no card required.