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A20.7 ICD-10-CM Code: Septicemic plague

Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
1 inclusion term
Risk adjustment
CMS-HCC V28: 1 category · CMS-HCC V22 category 2

Inpatient Payment Groups (MS-DRG)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

MS-DRGs this diagnosis helps define, as principal or secondary, per the CMS ICD-10-CM/PCS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v43, Appendix B.

  • MS-DRG 870 — SEPTICEMIA OR SEVERE SEPSIS WITH MV >96 HOURS (MDC 18)
  • MS-DRG 871 — SEPTICEMIA OR SEVERE SEPSIS WITHOUT MV >96 HOURS WITH MCC (MDC 18)
  • MS-DRG 872 — SEPTICEMIA OR SEVERE SEPSIS WITHOUT MV >96 HOURS WITHOUT MCC (MDC 18)

A diagnosis appearing in a group's logic does not by itself determine the DRG assigned to a stay; the grouper uses the full claim.

Risk Adjustment (CMS-HCC)

Payment categories this diagnosis maps to under CMS-HCC V28, payment year 2026.

  • HCC 2 — Septicemia, Sepsis, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/Shock

Other models: CMS-HCC V22 HCC 2

Risk scores depend on the enrollee's full accepted diagnosis set and segment; a category mapping alone does not determine payment.

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for A20.7 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2026Effective: October 1, 2025

Notes without a marker are published on A20.7 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • infection due to Yersinia pestis

Source: inherited from A20

Code Overview

Septicemic plague is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (A20.7).

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Indexed Clinical Terms (3)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code. These are alphabetic-index entries shown as the Index writes them — lookup phrasing, not necessarily the wording of a final diagnosis.

Verify Before Coding

  • MCC as a secondary diagnosis (FY2026). Can raise the stay's MS-DRG severity tier.

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name A20.7 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 1 Excludes1 note: A28.2 — Extraintestinal yersiniosis (via A20.-).

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 1 Excludes2 note: A41 — Other sepsis.

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 MS-DRG: MCC — Major Complication or Comorbidity. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, this code raises the stay's MS-DRG severity tier — except when the principal diagnosis is one of 47 clinically related codes on its CMS exclusion list.

Named in the grouper logic of 3 MS-DRGs: DRG 870 (MDC 18), DRG 871 (MDC 18), DRG 872 (MDC 18).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):INF002 — Septicemia (default); INF003 — Bacterial infections.

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical process (MS-DRG)

Acts as MCC — raises the severity of other admissions. CMS groups these diagnoses into one MS-DRG principal-diagnosis exclusion process — a CC/MCC on this list never raises severity when the principal diagnosis is also on it.

A02.1 — Salmonella sepsis, A20.0 — Bubonic plague, A20.1 — Cellulocutaneous plague, A20.2 — Pneumonic plague, A20.3 — Plague meningitis, A20.8 — Other forms of plague, A20.9 — Plague, unspecified, A22.7 — Anthrax sepsis, A26.7 — Erysipelothrix sepsis, A32.7 — Listerial sepsis, A40.0 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A, A40.1 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group B, A40.8 — Other streptococcal sepsis, A40.9 — Streptococcal sepsis, unspecified, A41.01 — Sepsis due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, A41.02 — Sepsis due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, A41.1 — Sepsis due to other specified staphylococcus, A41.2 — Sepsis due to unspecified staphylococcus, A41.3 — Sepsis due to Hemophilus influenzae, A41.4 — Sepsis due to anaerobes, +26 more

Same CMS-HCC risk category (V28)

CMS maps these diagnoses to the same Hierarchical Condition Category (Septicemia, Sepsis, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/Shock) for risk-adjusted payment.

A02.1 — Salmonella sepsis, A22.7 — Anthrax sepsis, A26.7 — Erysipelothrix sepsis, A32.7 — Listerial sepsis, A39.2 — Acute meningococcemia, A39.3 — Chronic meningococcemia, A39.4 — Meningococcemia, unspecified, A40.0 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A, A40.1 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group B, A40.3 — Sepsis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, A40.8 — Other streptococcal sepsis, A40.9 — Streptococcal sepsis, unspecified, A41.01 — Sepsis due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, A41.02 — Sepsis due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, A41.1 — Sepsis due to other specified staphylococcus, A41.2 — Sepsis due to unspecified staphylococcus, A41.3 — Sepsis due to Hemophilus influenzae, A41.4 — Sepsis due to anaerobes, A41.50 — Gram-negative sepsis, unspecified, A41.51 — Sepsis due to Escherichia coli [E. coli], +31 more

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical categories (Septicemia, Bacterial infections).

A02.1 — Salmonella sepsis, A22.7 — Anthrax sepsis, A26.7 — Erysipelothrix sepsis, A32.7 — Listerial sepsis, A39.2 — Acute meningococcemia, A39.4 — Meningococcemia, unspecified, A40.0 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A, A40.1 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group B, A40.3 — Sepsis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, A40.8 — Other streptococcal sepsis, A40.9 — Streptococcal sepsis, unspecified, A41.01 — Sepsis due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, A41.02 — Sepsis due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, A41.1 — Sepsis due to other specified staphylococcus, A41.2 — Sepsis due to unspecified staphylococcus, A41.3 — Sepsis due to Hemophilus influenzae, A41.4 — Sepsis due to anaerobes, A41.50 — Gram-negative sepsis, unspecified, A41.51 — Sepsis due to Escherichia coli [E. coli], A41.52 — Sepsis due to Pseudomonas, +392 more

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main term “Sepsis”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

A02.1 — Salmonella sepsis (Salmonella), A03.9 — Shigellosis, unspecified (Shigella), A21.7 — Generalized tularemia (tularemic), A22.7 — Anthrax sepsis (Bacillus anthracis), A23.9 — Brucellosis, unspecified (Brucella), A24.0 — Glanders (malleus), A24.1 — Acute and fulminating melioidosis (melioidosis), A26.7 — Erysipelothrix sepsis (Erysipelothrix), A28.0 — Pasteurellosis (Pasteurella multocida), A28.2 — Extraintestinal yersiniosis (extraintestinal yersiniosis), A32.7 — Listerial sepsis (Listeria monocytogenes), A39.1 — Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (adrenal hemorrhage syndrome), A39.2 — Acute meningococcemia (meningococcal, acute), A39.3 — Chronic meningococcemia (meningococcal, chronic), A39.4 — Meningococcemia, unspecified (meningococcal), A40.0 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A (Streptococcus, streptococcal, group, A), A40.1 — Sepsis due to streptococcus, group B (Streptococcus, streptococcal, group, B), A40.3 — Sepsis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal), A40.8 — Other streptococcal sepsis (Streptococcus, streptococcal, specified NEC), A40.9 — Streptococcal sepsis, unspecified (Streptococcus, streptococcal), +58 more

Lab tests where this diagnosis supports Medicare coverage (NCD)

Medicare's National Coverage Determination (NCD) program lists this diagnosis as medical justification for these lab tests.

Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Test

Contextual Map

Every relationship of A20.7 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run A20.7 with these 2 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

  • A41 — Other sepsis[Excludes2]: “sepsis (due to) (in) plague (A20.7)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Clinical classification (CCSR)

Risk adjustment (CMS-HCC)

  • HCC 2 — Septicemia, Sepsis, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/Shock [CMS-HCC]— CMS-HCC V28 · 2026

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 18 — Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites[MDC crossing]: “Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 1 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026

Index entries

  • Plague, septicemic[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Plague, tonsillar, septicemic[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Sepsis (generalized) (unspecified organism), Yersinia pestis[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes

Change history

  • FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2026 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2025 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v43.1 (April 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Inpatient payment groups Official source data
CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v43 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Risk adjustment Official source data
2026 Mid-Year Final ICD-10 Mappings + Model Software (cms.gov/files/zip/2026-midyear-final-icd-10-mappings.zip, 2026-midyear-final-model-software.zip) — CMS-HCC V28, PY2026 mid-year final release Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder structured relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "A20.7 — Septicemic plague." ICD-10-CM FY2026. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/a20.7-septicemic-plague

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Septicemic plague

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026), and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to A20.7 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the A20 family