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Q21.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Atrioventricular septal defect

Compare with another code for Q21.2Check this code on a claim

Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

Official instructions
3 inclusion terms · 1 Excludes1

What these terms mean →

Not billable · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too, and is marked with where it comes from.

Excludes1from Q21Not reported with this code unless documented as unrelated
  • acquired cardiac septal defect (I51.0)
IncludesWhat this code covers
  • Atrioventricular canal defect
  • Endocardial cushion defect
  • Ostium primum atrial septal defect (type I)

Where it sits Source: CMS/NCHS

Under:Chapter 17: Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-QA1) (Q00-QA1)Q20-Q28 Congenital malformations of the circulatory systemQ21 Congenital malformations of cardiac septa

Codes under Q21.2 (4)

  • Q21.20Atrioventricular septal defect, unspecified as to partial or completeBillable
  • Q21.21Partial atrioventricular septal defectBillable
  • Q21.22Transitional atrioventricular septal defectBillable
  • Q21.23Complete atrioventricular septal defectBillable

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for Q21.2 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 Q21.2 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Inclusion Terms

Alternative terms the tabular list files under this code.

  • Atrioventricular canal defect
  • Endocardial cushion defect
  • Ostium primum atrial septal defect (type I)

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 Q21

Coder workflow for Q21.2

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

Before you code Q21.2

  1. Q21.2 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).

    ReviewQ21.20, Q21.21, Q21.22, Q21.23

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

  2. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with the code beneath Q21.2. 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 documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath Q21.2?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → Q21.2 cannot be reported as written. Where the codes beneath it include an unspecified code, that code applies when the record goes no further; otherwise query for the missing detail.

    ReviewQ21.20, Q21.21, Q21.22, Q21.23

  2. Does the documentation support a condition named in Q21.2’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.

    ReviewI51.0

Report the code beneath Q21.2 that the documentation supports, not Q21.2 itself. Then confirm that code is valid for the date of service on its own page.

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

  • Excludes1 — check before selecting Q21.2(1 note)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with Q21.2: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareI51.0

    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

Documentation: Both the condition Q21.2 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).

ReviewI51.0

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 Q21.2 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of Q21.2 — 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.

  • I51.0— 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 acquired cardiac septal defect moves the case to I51.0; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: Q21.2 vs I51.0 →

  • Q21.9— Specificity relationship (Review)

    Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

    Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

    What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Congenital malformation of cardiac septum, unspecified” takes Q21.9; specificity in the record moves it back here.

    Full comparison: Q21.2 vs Q21.9 →

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.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Atrioventricular septal defect is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Q21.2). 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-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name Q21.2 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 Excludes2 note: P29 — Cardiovascular disorders originating in the perinatal period (via Q21.-).

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

Referenced by 1 Use Additional Code instruction: Q87.88 — CTNNB1 syndrome (via Q21.-).

These codes instruct coders to additionally report this code when it applies.

Referenced by 4 Code Also instructions across 3 chapters: I27.21 — Secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension (via Q21.-), Q87.85 — MED13L syndrome (via Q21.-), Q90 — Down syndrome, Z71.87 — Encounter for pediatric-to-adult transition counseling (via Q21.-).

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):MAL001 — Cardiac and circulatory congenital anomalies (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 (Cardiac and circulatory congenital anomalies).

Q21.0 — Ventricular septal defect, Q21.1 — Atrial septal defect, Q21.10 — Atrial septal defect, unspecified, Q21.11 — Secundum atrial septal defect, Q21.12 — Patent foramen ovale, Q21.13 — Coronary sinus atrial septal defect, Q21.14 — Superior sinus venosus atrial septal defect, Q21.15 — Inferior sinus venosus atrial septal defect, Q21.16 — Sinus venosus atrial septal defect, unspecified, Q21.19 — Other specified atrial septal defect, Q21.20 — Atrioventricular septal defect, unspecified as to partial or complete, Q21.21 — Partial atrioventricular septal defect, Q21.22 — Transitional atrioventricular septal defect, Q21.23 — Complete atrioventricular septal defect, Q21.3 — Tetralogy of Fallot, Q21.4 — Aortopulmonary septal defect, Q21.8 — Other congenital malformations of cardiac septa, Q21.9 — Congenital malformation of cardiac septum, unspecified, Q22.0 — Pulmonary valve atresia, Q22.1 — Congenital pulmonary valve stenosis, +87 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of Q21.2 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 Q21.2 with these 6 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

Referenced by Use Additional Code instructions

  • Q87.88 — CTNNB1 syndrome[Use Additional Code](via Q21.-): “congenital heart malformations (Q20.0-Q24.9)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Referenced by Code Also instructions

Clinical classification (CCSR)

Nearest codes (19)

Change history (2)

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can Q21.2 be billed directly?

No. Q21.2 (Atrioventricular septal defect) 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-derived 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 editorial 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.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

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. "Q21.2 — Atrioventricular septal defect." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/q21.2-atrioventricular-septal-defect

Change history

  • FY2023 — October 1, 2022
    Became a non-billable header
    FY2023 changes
  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Atrioventricular septal defect

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to Q21.2 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the Q21 family