Question 1

What is ICD-10 code Y81.1?

Accepted Answer

Y81.1 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for therapeutic (nonsurgical) and rehabilitative general- and plastic-surgery devices associated with adverse incidents. An adverse event or injury caused by non-surgical therapeutic or rehabilitation devices used in general or plastic surgery. Y81.1 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for external causes of morbidity (v00-y99), within the section covering medical devices associated with adverse incidents in diagnostic and therapeutic use (y70-y82).

Y81.1 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.

Use for complications from therapeutic devices in surgical specialties, such as compression devices or post-operative rehabilitation equipment.

Question 2

Is Y81.1 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. Y81.1 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 Y81.1 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Y81.1 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. Y81.1 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 Y81.1?

Accepted Answer

Y81.1 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 Y81.1 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 Y81.1?

Accepted Answer

Use for complications from therapeutic devices in surgical specialties, such as compression devices or post-operative rehabilitation equipment Link with documentation of the specific adverse effect experienced by the patient

HCC Buddy Code Card

Y81.1

Is Y81.1 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open Y81.1 in the Interactive Encoder

Y81.1 ICD-10-CM Code: Therapeutic (nonsurgical) and rehabilitative general- and plastic-surgery devices associated with adverse incidents

HCC Buddy Code Card

Y81.1

Is Y81.1 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open Y81.1 in the Interactive Encoder