Question 1

What is ICD-10 code N29?

Accepted Answer

N29 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other disorders of kidney and ureter in diseases classified elsewhere. Kidney and ureter disorders that occur as a result of another disease classified in a different ICD-10 category. N29 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the genitourinary system (n00-n99), within the section covering other disorders of kidney and ureter (n25-n29).

N29 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 code requires a secondary diagnosis code for the underlying disease causing the kidney/ureter disorder.

Question 2

Is N29 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. N29 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any payment HCC category under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can still be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions, but it does not contribute to the beneficiary's Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) score and therefore does not affect the risk-adjusted capitation payment to the plan. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026.

Question 3

Is N29 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. N29 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. N29 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Question 4

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for N29?

Accepted Answer

N29 does not map to a payment HCC under either the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model or the older V24 model. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition. Because neither model rewards N29 with a risk adjustment factor, it contributes zero to a Medicare Advantage beneficiary's RAF score in either version. Coders should check whether provider documentation supports a more specific child code that does map to a payment HCC.

Question 5

What should coders know when reporting N29?

Accepted Answer

This code requires a secondary diagnosis code for the underlying disease causing the kidney/ureter disorder Common causes include diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, and amyloidosis; always code the primary condition first

N29

Is N29 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Excludes 1 — Do NOT code together

Code First

Code Hierarchy

Open N29 in the Interactive Encoder