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D22.9 ICD-10-CM Code: Melanocytic nevi, unspecified

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 v44, Appendix B.

  • MS-DRG 606 — MINOR SKIN DISORDERS WITH MCC (MDC 09)
  • MS-DRG 607 — MINOR SKIN DISORDERS WITHOUT MCC (MDC 09)

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 D22.9 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on D22.9 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.

  • atypical nevus
  • blue hairy pigmented nevus
  • nevus NOS

Source: inherited from D22

Coder workflow for D22.9

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

Before you code D22.9

  1. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, D22.9 may be the appropriate code. Check the record for detail that supports a more specific sibling. An unspecified code is for records that do not provide the detail a more specific code needs; a query, not an assumption, is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

    ReviewD22.0, D22.1, D22.2, D22.4, D22.5, D22.6, D22.7

    See the relationships section · Guide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS) →

  2. Confirm the documented site and behavior (this code’s block classifies benign neoplasms), whether the site is primary or secondary, and whether the malignancy is current or a personal history: a previously excised malignancy with no further treatment and no evidence of disease is history, not current disease. Verify the site against the Table of Neoplasms. Neoplasm chapter guidelines (Guidelines I.C.2.a, I.C.2.d, I.C.2.m).

    See the Table of Neoplasms entries · Guide: Active cancer vs history of cancer →

Choose the right path

  1. Does the record document the detail a more specific sibling code needs?
    Yes → Review the specific siblings in this subcategory.
    No → Continue — D22.9 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

    ReviewD22.0, D22.1, D22.2, D22.4, D22.5, D22.6, D22.7

Consider D22.9. Then confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

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).
Anatomical site
At the most specific level the record states; a site the classification separates cannot be assumed from a procedure or a measurement.
Behavior and current-versus-history status
Malignant, in situ, benign or uncertain; primary or secondary; current disease or personal history (Guidelines I.C.2.m).
Any detail beyond this code’s title
What the record states that a more specific sibling code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Coding decision scenarios

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

Documentation: The provider documents the condition in the terms of this code’s title and records no further detail.

Coding question: Is a more specific sibling code supportable?

Path: Review the specific siblings in this subcategory and what each requires the record to state.

Reason: A more specific code needs documentation of the distinguishing element; without it the unspecified code is appropriate, and a provider query is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

ReviewD22.0, D22.1, D22.2, D22.4, D22.5, D22.6, D22.7

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

Melanocytic nevi, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (D22.9).

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 (6)

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

  • No Medicare Code Editor or MS-DRG Definitions Manual restrictions apply to this code.

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 D22.9 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: I78.1 — Nevus, non-neoplastic (via D22.-).

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

Referenced by 4 Excludes2 notes across 3 chapters: D18 — Hemangioma and lymphangioma, any site (via D22.-), D23 — Other benign neoplasms of skin (via D22.-), I78.1 — Nevus, non-neoplastic (via D22.-), Q82.5 — Congenital non-neoplastic nevus (via D22.-).

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

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2027)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2027 MS-DRG: not on the CMS CC/MCC list — as a secondary diagnosis this code does not change MS-DRG severity for that release.

Named in the grouper logic of 2 MS-DRGs: DRG 606 (MDC 09), DRG 607 (MDC 09).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):NEO073 — Benign neoplasms (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 category (CCSR)

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

D22.30 — Melanocytic nevi of unspecified part of face, D22.39 — Melanocytic nevi of other parts of face, D22.4 — Melanocytic nevi of scalp and neck, D22.5 — Melanocytic nevi of trunk, D22.60 — Melanocytic nevi of unspecified upper limb, including shoulder, D22.61 — Melanocytic nevi of right upper limb, including shoulder, D22.62 — Melanocytic nevi of left upper limb, including shoulder, D22.70 — Melanocytic nevi of unspecified lower limb, including hip, D22.71 — Melanocytic nevi of right lower limb, including hip, D22.72 — Melanocytic nevi of left lower limb, including hip, D23.0 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of lip, D23.10 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of unspecified eyelid, including canthus, D23.11 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of right eyelid, including canthus, D23.111 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of right upper eyelid, including canthus, D23.112 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of right lower eyelid, including canthus, D23.12 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of left eyelid, including canthus, D23.121 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of left upper eyelid, including canthus, D23.122 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of left lower eyelid, including canthus, D23.20 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of unspecified ear and external auricular canal, D23.21 — Other benign neoplasm of skin of right ear and external auricular canal, +252 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

D10.30 — Benign neoplasm of unspecified part of mouth (mouth), D10.39 — Benign neoplasm of other parts of mouth (mouth, specified site NEC), D18.00 — Hemangioma unspecified site (capillary), D18.01 — Hemangioma of skin and subcutaneous tissue (capillary, skin), D18.02 — Hemangioma of intracranial structures (cavernous, intracranial), D18.03 — Hemangioma of intra-abdominal structures (cavernous, intra-abdominal), D18.09 — Hemangioma of other sites (capillary, specified site NEC), D18.1 — Lymphangioma, any site (lymphatic), D28.0 — Benign neoplasm of vulva (skin, vulva), D29.0 — Benign neoplasm of penis (skin, penis), D29.4 — Benign neoplasm of scrotum (skin, scrotum), D29.9 — Benign neoplasm of male genital organ, unspecified (skin, male genital organ), D31.0 — Benign neoplasm of conjunctiva (conjunctiva), D31.2 — Benign neoplasm of retina (retina), D31.3 — Benign neoplasm of choroid (choroid), D31.4 — Benign neoplasm of ciliary body (iris), D31.40 — Benign neoplasm of unspecified ciliary body (magnocellular, unspecified site), D31.5 — Benign neoplasm of lacrimal gland and duct (lacrimal gland), D31.6 — Benign neoplasm of unspecified site of orbit (orbit), D31.9 — Benign neoplasm of unspecified part of eye (eye), +11 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.

Iron Panel

Contextual Map

Every relationship of D22.9 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 D22.9 with these 4 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 09 — Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast — 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. 7,378 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027

Index entries

  • Blue, nevus[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Nevus[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Nevus, skin[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Nevus, skin, nail[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Nevus, Sutton's benign[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Sutton's nevus[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes (27)

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 FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 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 — v44 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. "D22.9 — Melanocytic nevi, unspecified." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/d22.9-melanocytic-nevi-unspecified

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Melanocytic nevi, unspecified

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, 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 D22.9 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the D22 family