P59.9 ICD-10-CM Code: Neonatal jaundice, unspecified

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for P59.9 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 P59.9 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Coder workflow for P59.9

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

Before you code P59.9

1. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, P59.9 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).

   ReviewP59.0, P59.1, P59.3, P59.8

   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 P59.9. 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 — P59.9 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

   ReviewP59.0, P59.1, P59.3, P59.8

2. Does the documentation support a condition named in P59.9’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.

   ReviewP57, Q44.3, E80.5, E80.6, E80.4

Consider P59.9. 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).

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 P59.9(7 notes)

  Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with P59.9: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

  CompareP57, Q44.3, E80.5, E80.6, E80.4

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

Coding decision scenarios

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

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.

Indexed Clinical Terms (5)

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.

• Icterus, newborn
• Jaundice (yellow), newborn
• Jaundice (yellow), symptomatic, newborn
• Newborn (infant) (liveborn) (singleton), hyperbilirubinemia
• Newborn (infant) (liveborn) (singleton), jaundice

Don’t confuse P59.9 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of P59.9 — 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.

• E70— 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 due to inborn errors of metabolism moves the case to E70; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: P59.9 vs E70 →

• E88— 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 due to inborn errors of metabolism moves the case to E88; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: P59.9 vs E88 →

• P57— 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 kernicterus moves the case to P57; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: P59.9 vs P57 →

• Q44.3— 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 congenital stenosis and stricture of bile ducts moves the case to Q44.3; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: P59.9 vs Q44.3 →

• E80.5— 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 Crigler-Najjar syndrome moves the case to E80.5; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: P59.9 vs E80.5 →

• E80.6— 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 Dubin-Johnson syndrome moves the case to E80.6; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: P59.9 vs E80.6 →

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.

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 P59.9 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 2 Excludes1 notes across 2 chapters: K72 — Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified (via P59.-), R17 — Unspecified jaundice (via P59.-).

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

Referenced by 10 Excludes2 notes: R70 — Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and abnormality of plasma viscosity (via P59.-), R70-R79 — Abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis (R70-R79) (via P59.-), R71 — Abnormality of red blood cells (via P59.-), R73 — Elevated blood glucose level (via P59.-), R74 — Abnormal serum enzyme levels (via P59.-), R75 — Inconclusive laboratory evidence of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] (via P59.-), R76 — Other abnormal immunological findings in serum (via P59.-), R77 — Other abnormalities of plasma proteins (via P59.-), R78 — Findings of drugs and other substances, not normally found in blood (via P59.-), R79 — Other abnormal findings of blood chemistry (via P59.-).

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

Referenced by 1 Code Also instruction: K76.82 — Hepatic encephalopathy (via P59.-).

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

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 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 1 MS-DRG: DRG 795 (MDC 15).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):PNL007 — Hemolytic jaundice and perinatal jaundice (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 (Hemolytic jaundice and perinatal jaundice).

P56.90 — Hydrops fetalis due to unspecified hemolytic disease, P56.99 — Hydrops fetalis due to other hemolytic disease, P57.0 — Kernicterus due to isoimmunization, P57.8 — Other specified kernicterus, P57.9 — Kernicterus, unspecified, P58.0 — Neonatal jaundice due to bruising, P58.1 — Neonatal jaundice due to bleeding, P58.2 — Neonatal jaundice due to infection, P58.3 — Neonatal jaundice due to polycythemia, P58.41 — Neonatal jaundice due to drugs or toxins transmitted from mother, P58.42 — Neonatal jaundice due to drugs or toxins given to newborn, P58.5 — Neonatal jaundice due to swallowed maternal blood, P58.8 — Neonatal jaundice due to other specified excessive hemolysis, P58.9 — Neonatal jaundice due to excessive hemolysis, unspecified, P59.0 — Neonatal jaundice associated with preterm delivery, P59.1 — Inspissated bile syndrome, P59.20 — Neonatal jaundice from unspecified hepatocellular damage, P59.29 — Neonatal jaundice from other hepatocellular damage, P59.3 — Neonatal jaundice from breast milk inhibitor, P59.8 — Neonatal jaundice from other specified causes, +5 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

P57.9 — Kernicterus, unspecified (nuclear, newborn), P58.0 — Neonatal jaundice due to bruising (newborn, due to or associated with, bruising), P58.1 — Neonatal jaundice due to bleeding (newborn, due to or associated with, bleeding), P58.2 — Neonatal jaundice due to infection (newborn, due to or associated with, infection), P58.3 — Neonatal jaundice due to polycythemia (newborn, due to or associated with, polycythemia), P58.41 — Neonatal jaundice due to drugs or toxins transmitted from mother (newborn, due to or associated with, drugs or toxins, transmitted from mother), P58.42 — Neonatal jaundice due to drugs or toxins given to newborn (newborn, due to or associated with, drugs or toxins, given to newborn), P58.5 — Neonatal jaundice due to swallowed maternal blood (newborn, due to or associated with, swallowed maternal blood), P58.8 — Neonatal jaundice due to other specified excessive hemolysis (newborn, due to or associated with, hereditary hemolytic anemia), P58.9 — Neonatal jaundice due to excessive hemolysis, unspecified (newborn, due to or associated with, excessive hemolysis), P70.0 — Syndrome of infant of mother with gestational diabetes (affected by, maternal, gestational diabetes), P70.1 — Syndrome of infant of a diabetic mother (affected by, maternal, diabetes mellitus), P74.0 — Late metabolic acidosis of newborn (late metabolic acidosis), P74.1 — Dehydration of newborn (dehydration), P74.21 — Hypernatremia of newborn (hypernatremia), P74.22 — Hyponatremia of newborn (hyponatremia), P74.8 — Other transitory metabolic disturbances of newborn (affected by, amino-acid metabolic disorder, transitory), P78.0 — Perinatal intestinal perforation (affected by, meconium peritonitis), P81.0 — Environmental hyperthermia of newborn (fever, environmentally-induced), P81.9 — Disturbance of temperature regulation of newborn, unspecified (fever), +173 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.

Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) Test, Prothrombin Time Test and INR (PT/INR)

Contextual Map

Every relationship of P59.9 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 P59.9 with these 11 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

• P00-P96 — Chapter 16: Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period (P00-P96) (P00-P96)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P50-P61 — Hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

• K72 — Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified[Excludes1](via P59.-): “icterus of newborn (P55-P59)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R17 — Unspecified jaundice[Excludes1](via P59.-): “neonatal jaundice (P55, P57-P59)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes2 notes (10)

• R70 — Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and abnormality of plasma viscosity[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R70-R79 — Abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis (R70-R79)[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R71 — Abnormality of red blood cells[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R73 — Elevated blood glucose level[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R74 — Abnormal serum enzyme levels[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R75 — Inconclusive laboratory evidence of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV][Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R76 — Other abnormal immunological findings in serum[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• R77 — Other abnormalities of plasma proteins[Excludes2](via P59.-): “hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn (P50-P61)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• and 2 more

Referenced by Code Also instructions

• K76.82 — Hepatic encephalopathy[Code Also](via P59.-): “icterus of newborn (P55-P59)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Clinical classification (CCSR)

• PNL007 — Hemolytic jaundice and perinatal jaundice[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)

MS-DRG Grouper

• DRG 795 — NORMAL NEWBORN[MS-DRG]: “NORMAL NEWBORN (MDC 15)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026

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

Index entries

• Icterus, newborn[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Jaundice (yellow), newborn[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Jaundice (yellow), symptomatic, newborn[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Newborn (infant) (liveborn) (singleton), hyperbilirubinemia[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Newborn (infant) (liveborn) (singleton), jaundice[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes

• P59 — Neonatal jaundice from other and unspecified causes[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.0 — Neonatal jaundice associated with preterm delivery[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.1 — Inspissated bile syndrome[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.2 — Neonatal jaundice from other and unspecified hepatocellular damage[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.20 — Neonatal jaundice from unspecified hepatocellular damage[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.29 — Neonatal jaundice from other hepatocellular damage[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.3 — Neonatal jaundice from breast milk inhibitor[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• P59.8 — Neonatal jaundice from other specified causes[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

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

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to P59.9 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• P59 — Neonatal jaundice from other and unspecified causes
• P59.0 — Neonatal jaundice associated with preterm delivery
• P59.1 — Inspissated bile syndrome
• P59.2 — Neonatal jaundice from other and unspecified hepatocellular damage
• P59.20 — Neonatal jaundice from unspecified hepatocellular damage
• P59.29 — Neonatal jaundice from other hepatocellular damage
• P59.3 — Neonatal jaundice from breast milk inhibitor
• P59.8 — Neonatal jaundice from other specified causes

View all codes in the P59 family