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G96.81 ICD-10-CM Code: Intracranial hypotension

Billing Status: NO. This is a clinician non-billable / parent hierarchy grouping in the ICD-10-CM system.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
14 code-also instructions

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for G96.81 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

Code Also

Additional codes that may be required to fully describe the encounter.

  • any associated diagnoses, such as:
  • Brachial amyotrophy (G54.5)
  • Cerebrospinal fluid leak from spine (G96.02)
  • Cranial nerve disorders in diseases classified elsewhere (G53)
  • Nerve root and compressions in diseases classified elsewhere (G55)
  • Nonpyogenic thrombosis of intracranial venous system (I67.6)
  • Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (I61.-)
  • Nontraumatic subdural hemorrhage (I62.0-)
  • Other and unspecified cord compression (G95.2-)
  • Other secondary parkinsonism (G21.8)
  • Reversible cerebrovascular vasoconstriction syndrome (I67.841)
  • Spinal cord herniation (G95.89)
  • Stroke (I63.-)
  • Syringomyelia (G95.0)

Coder workflow for G96.81

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

Before you code G96.81

  1. G96.81 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

    ReviewG96.810, G96.811, G96.819

    See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath G96.81?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → G96.81 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

    ReviewG96.810, G96.811, G96.819

Consider G96.81. Then review the Code Also note, and 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).

Official instructions as workflow

  • Code Also — related condition(14 notes)

    Coding workflow: Review the related condition when both are documented and the instruction applies. A Code Also note does not fix sequencing; the order follows the circumstances of the encounter.

    ReviewG54.5, G96.02, G53, G55, I67.6, I61

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.17

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

Intracranial hypotension is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (G96.81). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

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

Verify Before Coding

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 G96.81 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 2 Code Also instructions: G96.0 — Cerebrospinal fluid leak, G96.11 — Dural tear.

These codes suggest coding this condition alongside when both are present.

Contextual Map

Every relationship of G96.81 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 G96.81 with these 10 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Code Also (13)

Referenced by Code Also instructions

  • G96.0 — Cerebrospinal fluid leak[Code Also]: “intracranial hypotension (G96.81-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
  • G96.11 — Dural tear[Code Also]: “intracranial hypotension, if applicable (G96.81-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (19)

Change history

Common coding questions

Can G96.81 be billed directly?

No. G96.81 (Intracranial hypotension) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

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
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. "G96.81 — Intracranial hypotension." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/g96.81-intracranial-hypotension

Change history

  • FY2021 — October 1, 2020
    Added to the code set
    Intracranial hypotension
    FY2021 changes

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to G96.81 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the G96 family