Question 1

What is ICD-10 code R78.81?

Accepted Answer

R78.81 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for bacteremia. The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream, which can indicate an infection spreading through the body. R78.81 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (r00-r99), within the section covering abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis (r70-r79).

R78.81 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.

Bacteremia is a finding that should prompt investigation for the source and causative organism; do not use as a primary diagnosis without further specification.

Question 2

Is R78.81 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. R78.81 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 R78.81 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. R78.81 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. R78.81 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 R78.81?

Accepted Answer

R78.81 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 R78.81 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 R78.81?

Accepted Answer

Bacteremia is a finding that should prompt investigation for the source and causative organism; do not use as a primary diagnosis without further specification Document culture results and organism identification when available; distinguish from sepsis which requires additional coding

R78.81

Is R78.81 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Excludes 1 — Do NOT code together

Code Hierarchy

Open R78.81 in the Interactive Encoder