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I70.248 vs I70.79

I70.248 (Atherosclerosis of native arteries of left leg with ulceration of other part of lower leg) compared with I70.79 (Other atherosclerosis of other type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities), from the official CMS tabular data.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because I70.248 lists I70.79 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule
What is different?

The conditions named and billing status.I70.248 is “Atherosclerosis of native arteries of left leg with ulceration of other part of lower leg”; I70.79 is “Other atherosclerosis of other type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities”. I70.79 is a non-billable header; I70.248 is billable.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.I70.248 lists I70.79 under Excludes2: “atherosclerosis of bypass graft of extremities (I70.30-I70.79)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.I70.248’s tabular entry: “atherosclerosis of bypass graft of extremities (I70.30-I70.79)”. The note covers I70.79.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one a parent or header code?

One is a header.I70.79 is a non-billable header, but I70.248 is not one of its subdivisions.

Registry fact

Nothing found in 4 other checks
Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code.

Official rule

Is one more specific?

No.Neither is a subdivision of the other, and neither title is the unspecified form; they describe different conditions within category I70.

Registry fact

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

I70.248
Atherosclerosis of native arteries of left leg with ulceration of other part of lower leg
↔
I70.79
Other atherosclerosis of other type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.I70.248 carries an Excludes2 note covering I70.79: “atherosclerosis of bypass graft of extremities (I70.30-I70.79)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2

    A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2027

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

Similar descriptions do not make codes interchangeable. The documentation and the official instructions decide which code applies.

Official descriptionDiffers
I70.248

Atherosclerosis of native arteries of left leg with ulceration of other part of lower leg

I70.79

Other atherosclerosis of other type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities

StatusDiffers
I70.248
Billable
I70.79
Non-billable header

A header is not reported on a claim; a code beneath it is.

Report instead: I70.791, I70.792, I70.793, I70.798, I70.799

Excludes2Differs
Only at I70.248
  • atherosclerosis of bypass graft of extremities (I70.30-I70.79)
Only at I70.79

No note of its own beyond the shared notes

Shared by both codes (8 notes)
  • arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (I25.1-)
  • arteriosclerotic heart disease (I25.1-)
  • atheroembolism (I75.-)
  • cerebral atherosclerosis (I67.2)
  • coronary atherosclerosis (I25.1-)
  • mesenteric atherosclerosis (K55.1)
  • precerebral atherosclerosis (I67.2)
  • primary pulmonary atherosclerosis (I27.0)
Use additional codeDiffers
Only at I70.248
  • code to identify severity of ulcer (L97.-)
Only at I70.79

No note of its own beyond the shared notes

Shared by both codes (7 notes)
  • code, if applicable, to identify chronic total occlusion of artery of extremity (I70.92)
  • code to identify:
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
  • history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
  • tobacco dependence (F17.-)
  • tobacco use (Z72.0)
CategorySame for both

I70 Atherosclerosis

ChapterSame for both

I00-I99 — Diseases of the Circulatory System (I00-I99)

IncludesDiffers
Only at I70.248
  • any condition classifiable to I70.212 and I70.222
  • chronic limb-threatening ischemia of native arteries of left leg with ulceration
  • critical limb ischemia of native arteries of left leg with ulceration
Only at I70.79

No note of its own beyond the shared notes

Shared by both codes (10 notes)
  • arteriolosclerosis
  • arterial degeneration
  • arteriosclerosis
  • arteriosclerotic vascular disease
  • arteriovascular degeneration
  • atheroma
  • endarteritis deformans or obliterans
  • senile arteritis
  • senile endarteritis
  • vascular degeneration

No Excludes1, Code first, Code also and 7th character note at either code.

Notes are the code’s own tabular entry, quoted as published. A note that names the other code is the one the verdict above rests on. In a row that differs, each code’s own notes are listed under it, and the notes every code shares are listed once beneath them.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources