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B02.8 ICD-10-CM Code: Zoster with other complications

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

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
3 inclusion terms

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 791 — PREMATURITY WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS (MDC 15)
  • MS-DRG 793 — FULL TERM NEONATE WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS (MDC 15)
  • MS-DRG 865 — VIRAL ILLNESS WITH MCC (MDC 18)
  • MS-DRG 866 — VIRAL ILLNESS WITHOUT MCC (MDC 18)
  • MS-DRG 974 — HIV WITH MAJOR RELATED CONDITION WITH MCC (MDC 25)
  • MS-DRG 975 — HIV WITH MAJOR RELATED CONDITION WITH CC (MDC 25)
  • MS-DRG 976 — HIV WITH MAJOR RELATED CONDITION WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC 25)

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.

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for B02.8 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 B02.8 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.

  • shingles
  • zona

Source: inherited from B02

Inclusion Terms

Alternative terms the tabular list files under this code.

  • Herpes zoster otitis externa

Coder workflow for B02.8

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code B02.8

  1. B02.8’s title joins a condition with an associated condition or complication. Confirm each component is documented. Where the classification presumes the link through the “with” convention, only a provider statement that the conditions are unrelated defeats it. A combination code is assigned only when it fully identifies the documented conditions; a required second code for the stage, type or manifestation is still reported when the notes ask for it (Guidelines I.B.9, I.A.15).

    Guide: Combination codes →

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
The associated condition or complication
Whether the associated condition the title names is documented; the “with” convention presumes some links, and a provider statement that the conditions are unrelated defeats it (Guidelines I.A.15).

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: Only one of the components this code’s title joins is documented.

Coding question: Is B02.8 supported?

Path: Review the code for the documented component on its own.

Reason: A combination code is assigned only when it fully identifies the documented conditions; otherwise the documented component takes its own code (Guidelines I.B.9).

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Code Overview

Zoster with other complications is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (B02.8).

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 (4)

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

  • CC 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 B02.8 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: H62.4 — Otitis externa in other diseases classified elsewhere.

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

Referenced by 9 Excludes2 notes across 2 chapters: B10 — Other human herpesviruses (via B02.-), L00 — Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (via B02.-), L00-L08 — Infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L08) (via B02.-), L01 — Impetigo (via B02.-), L02 — Cutaneous abscess, furuncle and carbuncle (via B02.-), L03 — Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis (via B02.-), L04 — Acute lymphadenitis (via B02.-), L05 — Pilonidal cyst and sinus (via B02.-), L08 — Other local infections of skin and subcutaneous tissue (via B02.-).

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

Referenced by 1 Code First instruction: H67 — Otitis media in diseases classified elsewhere (via B02.-).

Each of these codes carries a Code First note naming this condition — when that code is reported, THIS code is sequenced first, ahead of it.

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 MS-DRG: CC — 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 60 clinically related codes on its CMS exclusion list. Does not count toward severity when the stay groups to DRGs 974-976 (HIV with Major Related Condition).

Named in the grouper logic of 7 MS-DRGs: DRG 791 (MDC 15), DRG 793 (MDC 15), DRG 865 (MDC 18), DRG 866 (MDC 18), DRG 974 (MDC 25), DRG 975 (MDC 25), DRG 976 (MDC 25).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):INF008 — Viral infection (default).

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 CC — 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.

B02.23 — Postherpetic polyneuropathy, B02.24 — Postherpetic myelitis, B02.29 — Other postherpetic nervous system involvement, B02.30 — Zoster ocular disease, unspecified, B02.31 — Zoster conjunctivitis, B02.32 — Zoster iridocyclitis, B02.33 — Zoster keratitis, B02.34 — Zoster scleritis, B02.39 — Other herpes zoster eye disease, B02.7 — Disseminated zoster, B02.9 — Zoster without complications, B10.01 — Human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis, B10.09 — Other human herpesvirus encephalitis, B10.81 — Human herpesvirus 6 infection, B10.82 — Human herpesvirus 7 infection, B10.89 — Other human herpesvirus infection, B33.24 — Viral cardiomyopathy, B33.4 — Hantavirus (cardio)-pulmonary syndrome [HPS] [HCPS], B33.8 — Other specified viral diseases, B34.1 — Enterovirus infection, unspecified, +39 more

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Viral infection).

+309 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

B00.50 — Herpesviral ocular disease, unspecified (eye, simplex), B00.51 — Herpesviral iridocyclitis (iritis), B00.52 — Herpesviral keratitis (keratitis), B00.53 — Herpesviral conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis), B00.59 — Other herpesviral disease of eye (eyelid, simplex), B00.7 — Disseminated herpesviral disease (sepsis), B00.81 — Herpesviral hepatitis (simplex, hepatitis), B00.82 — Herpes simplex myelitis (simplex, myelitis), B00.89 — Other herpesviral infection (whitlow), B00.9 — Herpesviral infection, unspecified, B05.3 — Measles complicated by otitis media (media, postmeasles), B10.01 — Human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis (human, 6, encephalitis), B10.09 — Other human herpesvirus encephalitis (human, 7, encephalitis), B10.81 — Human herpesvirus 6 infection (human, 6, specified NEC), B10.82 — Human herpesvirus 7 infection (human, 7, specified NEC), B10.89 — Other human herpesvirus infection (human, 8), B34.9 — Viral infection, unspecified (externa, in, viral disease NEC), B35.0 — Tinea barbae and tinea capitis (tonsurans), B35.4 — Tinea corporis (circinatus), B36.9 — Superficial mycosis, unspecified (externa, mycotic NEC), +53 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.

HIV Screening Test

Contextual Map

Every relationship of B02.8 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 B02.8 with these 10 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes (9)

Referenced by Code First instructions

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 15 — Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period[MDC crossing]: “Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period — 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.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026
  • 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

  • Herpes, herpesvirus, herpetic, zoster, complicated NEC[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Herpes, herpesvirus, herpetic, zoster, specified complication NEC[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Otitis (acute), externa, in (due to), herpesvirus infection (simplex), zoster[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Otitis (acute), externa, in (due to), zoster[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (18)

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
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. "B02.8 — Zoster with other complications." ICD-10-CM FY2026. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/b02.8-zoster-with-other-complications

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Zoster with other complications

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 B02.8 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the B02 family