Skip to main content

K70.9 ICD-10-CM Code: Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified

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

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
1 Excludes1 · 4 Excludes2 · 2 use-additional codes
Risk adjustment
CMS-HCC V22 category 28

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 432 — CIRRHOSIS AND ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS WITH MCC (MDC 07)
  • MS-DRG 433 — CIRRHOSIS AND ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS WITH CC (MDC 07)
  • MS-DRG 434 — CIRRHOSIS AND ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC 07)

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 K70.9 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 K70.9 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Excludes1 — Not Coded Here

Conditions generally not reported together with this code (Excludes1) -- an error unless the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Source: inherited from K70-K77

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Source: inherited from K70-K77

Use Additional Code

Supplementary codes the tabular list directs you to add.

  • Use additional code to identify:
  • alcohol abuse and dependence (F10.-)

Source: inherited from K70

Coder workflow for K70.9

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

Before you code K70.9

  1. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, K70.9 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).

    ReviewK70.0, K70.1, K70.2, K70.3, K70.4

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

  2. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with K70.9. Excludes1 conditions are not reported together with this code unless the record shows they are unrelated (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

    See the official tabular notes

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 — K70.9 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

    ReviewK70.0, K70.1, K70.2, K70.3, K70.4

  2. Does the documentation support a condition named in K70.9’s Excludes1 note?
    Yes → Do not simply proceed: review the excluded code. Both are reported only when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated.
    No → Continue.

    ReviewR17

Consider K70.9. Then work the Use Additional Code 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).
The conditions the Use Additional Code note names
Reported with this code when documented; a conditional instruction (“if applicable”, “if known”) applies only when the record supports it.
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.

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes1 — check before selecting K70.9(1 note)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with K70.9: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareR17

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.a

  • Excludes2 — not part of K70.9(4 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in K70.9. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareE83.11, G93.7, E83.01

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

  • Use Additional Code — after identifying K70.9(2 notes)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the documentation supports the additional code(s) the note names, and report them with K70.9 when it does. Where the instruction is conditional (“if applicable”, “if known”), it applies only when the record documents the condition.

    ReviewF10

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

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).

ReviewK70.0, K70.1, K70.2, K70.3, K70.4

Documentation: Both the condition K70.9 describes and a condition named in its Excludes1 note are documented for the same encounter.

Coding question: Can both codes be reported?

Path: Review the Excludes1 note and the excluded code, and look for a provider statement on whether the two conditions are related.

Reason: Excludes1 means the two are not coded together; the exception is when the record shows the conditions are unrelated to each other (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

ReviewR17

Documentation: A condition the Use Additional Code note names is documented.

Coding question: Is a second code reported with K70.9?

Path: Review the Use Additional Code note and the code it names.

Reason: The additional code is reported when the record documents the condition; a conditional instruction applies only when its condition is met (Guidelines I.A.13).

ReviewF10

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.

Don’t confuse K70.9 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of K70.9 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

  • R17— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of jaundice NOS moves the case to R17; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: K70.9 vs R17 →

  • E83.11— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of hemochromatosis adds E83.11; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: K70.9 vs E83.11 →

  • G93.7— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of Reye's syndrome adds G93.7; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: K70.9 vs G93.7 →

  • B15— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of viral hepatitis adds B15; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: K70.9 vs B15 →

  • B19— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of viral hepatitis adds B19; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: K70.9 vs B19 →

  • E83.01— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of Wilson's disease adds E83.01; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: K70.9 vs E83.01 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Code Overview

Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (K70.9).

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 (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.

Official Coding Guidelines

No excerpt in the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines names this code specifically. Its chapter carries only this chapter-wide note:

Chapter 11: Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95)

Reserved for future guideline expansion

Decision Points

The directives on this code's own record, as a pre-claim checklist.

  1. 2 Use Additional Code instructions — report the named additional code(s) when the documentation supports them. See the Use Additional Code notes
  2. 1 Excludes1 entry — codes named there are generally not reported together with this code (Guidelines I.A.12.a). See the Excludes1 notes
  3. 4 Excludes2 entries — those conditions are not part of this code and may be reported additionally when documented. See the Excludes2 notes

Checklist rows are derived from this code's own official directives; the wording of each check is MedCoder editorial. The official notes themselves are in the sections each row links to.

Verify Before Coding

  • Age-restricted: the Medicare Code Editor lists this as an adult (age 15-124) diagnosis; other ages are presumed incorrect.

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 K70.9 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: K77 — Liver disorders in diseases classified elsewhere (via K70.-).

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

Referenced by 2 Excludes2 notes: K71 — Toxic liver disease (via K70.-), K76 — Other diseases of liver (via K70.-).

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 3 MS-DRGs: DRG 432 (MDC 07), DRG 433 (MDC 07), DRG 434 (MDC 07).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):DIG019 — Other specified and unspecified liver disease (default); MBD017 — Alcohol-related disorders.

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 categories (Other specified and unspecified liver disease, Alcohol-related disorders).

K29.20 — Alcoholic gastritis without bleeding, K29.21 — Alcoholic gastritis with bleeding, K70.0 — Alcoholic fatty liver, K70.10 — Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites, K70.11 — Alcoholic hepatitis with ascites, K70.2 — Alcoholic fibrosis and sclerosis of liver, K70.30 — Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver without ascites, K70.31 — Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver with ascites, K70.40 — Alcoholic hepatic failure without coma, K70.41 — Alcoholic hepatic failure with coma, K71.0 — Toxic liver disease with cholestasis, K71.10 — Toxic liver disease with hepatic necrosis, without coma, K71.11 — Toxic liver disease with hepatic necrosis, with coma, K71.7 — Toxic liver disease with fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver, K71.8 — Toxic liver disease with other disorders of liver, K71.9 — Toxic liver disease, unspecified, K74.0 — Hepatic fibrosis, K74.00 — Hepatic fibrosis, unspecified, K74.01 — Hepatic fibrosis, early fibrosis, K74.02 — Hepatic fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, +110 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

F10.980 — Alcohol use, unspecified with alcohol-induced anxiety disorder (anxiety disorder), F10.981 — Alcohol use, unspecified with alcohol-induced sexual dysfunction (sexual dysfunction), F10.982 — Alcohol use, unspecified with alcohol-induced sleep disorder (sleep disorder), F10.988 — Alcohol use, unspecified with other alcohol-induced disorder (jealousy), G80.9 — Cerebral palsy, unspecified (brain, child NEC), G93.1 — Anoxic brain damage, not elsewhere classified (brain, anoxic, hypoxic), G93.9 — Disorder of brain, unspecified (brain), G97.82 — Other postprocedural complications and disorders of nervous system (brain, anoxic, hypoxic, resulting from a procedure), I42.6 — Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (cardiopathy), I99.9 — Unspecified disorder of circulatory system (vascular), K76.9 — Liver disease, unspecified (liver), O08.6 — Damage to pelvic organs and tissues following an ectopic and molar pregnancy (pelvic, organ NEC, following ectopic or molar pregnancy), O71.5 — Other obstetric injury to pelvic organs (pelvic, organ NEC, during delivery), O71.6 — Obstetric damage to pelvic joints and ligaments (coccyx, complicating delivery), P11.2 — Unspecified brain damage due to birth injury (brain, due to birth injury), P15.3 — Birth injury to eye (eye, birth injury), T88.7 — Unspecified adverse effect of drug or medicament (medication), U07.0 — Vaping-related disorder (lung, vaping), Z71.41 — Alcohol abuse counseling and surveillance of alcoholic (counseling and surveillance), Z71.42 — Counseling for family member of alcoholic (counseling and surveillance, family member), +24 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.

Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Test, Iron Panel, Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) Test, Prothrombin Time Test and INR (PT/INR)

Contextual Map

Every relationship of K70.9 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 K70.9 with these 3 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

  • K71 — Toxic liver disease[Excludes2](via K70.-): “alcoholic liver disease (K70.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • K76 — Other diseases of liver[Excludes2](via K70.-): “alcoholic liver disease (K70.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 07 — Diseases and Disorders of the Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas — 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. 2,488 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2027

Index entries

  • Alcohol, alcoholic, alcohol-induced, liver[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Damage, liver (nontraumatic), alcoholic[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Disease, diseased, liver (chronic) (organic), alcoholic (chronic)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes (12)

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
Coding guidelines Official source data
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (FY2027), quoted by section 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. "K70.9 — Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/k70.9-alcoholic-liver-disease-unspecified

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Alcoholic liver disease, 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 K70.9 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the K70 family