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T20.119A vs T20.119D

T20.119A (Burn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], initial encounter) compared with T20.119D (Burn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], subsequent encounter), from the official CMS tabular data. T20.119A and T20.119D code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.

Relationship

Review

Encounter relationship

T20.119A
Initial encounter
Burn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], initial encounter
↔
T20.119D
Subsequent encounter
Burn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], 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. T20.119A and T20.119D 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

T20.119ABurn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], initial encounterT20.119DBurn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], subsequent encounter
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationS00-T88 — Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causesS00-T88 — Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
DefinitionBurn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T20.119A).Burn of first degree of unspecified ear [any part, except ear drum], subsequent encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T20.119D).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T20The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T20
Includes
burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema]
burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss]
burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]
burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema]
burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss]
burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]
Use additional code
external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92)
code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved
external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92)
code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved
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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