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S55.209A vs S55.209D

S55.209A (Unspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, initial encounter) compared with S55.209D (Unspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, subsequent encounter), from the official CMS tabular data. S55.209A and S55.209D code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.

Relationship

Review

Encounter relationship

S55.209A
Initial encounter
Unspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, initial encounter
↔
S55.209D
Subsequent encounter
Unspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, subsequent encounter

Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

The 7th character records the phase of care for the encounter being coded, so a single encounter takes one of these characters, not several. Review whether both phases belong on the same episode of care.

Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a

Can these codes be reported together?

Same injury, other encounter phase. S55.209A and S55.209D code the same injury at a different phase of treatment, set by the 7th character.

The 7th character records the type of care given at the encounter being coded (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a), so one encounter takes one of these, not both.

Side by side

S55.209AUnspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, initial encounterS55.209DUnspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, subsequent encounter
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationS00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)
DefinitionUnspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S55.209A).Unspecified injury of vein at forearm level, unspecified arm, subsequent encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S55.209D).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S55The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S55
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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources