Skip to main content

S96.202A vs S96.202D

S96.202A (Unspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, initial encounter) compared with S96.202D (Unspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, subsequent encounter), from the official CMS tabular data. S96.202A and S96.202D code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.

Relationship

Review

Encounter relationship

S96.202A
Initial encounter
Unspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, initial encounter
S96.202D
Subsequent encounter
Unspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, 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. S96.202A and S96.202D 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

S96.202AUnspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, initial encounterS96.202DUnspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, 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 intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S96.202A).Unspecified injury of intrinsic muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level, left foot, subsequent encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S96.202D).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S96The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S96

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources