2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code B17.9Acute viral hepatitis, unspecified
ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›B15-B19›B17
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- CC — Complication or Comorbidity
- Not Chronic
B17.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute viral hepatitis, unspecified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 441 through 443, 791, 793. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 40 closely related codes. Coders also document this condition as acute focal hepatitis. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Hepatitis and Viral infection.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Acute focal hepatitis
- Acute fulminating viral hepatitis
- Acute hepatic failure
- Acute hepatic failure caused by hepatitis virus
- Acute hepatitis
- Acute infectious hepatitis
- Acute viral hepatitis
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to B17.9: its own notes plus those printed at block B15-B19 and Chapter 1. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- diseases generally recognized as communicable or transmissible
Applicable To
Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.
- Acute hepatitis NOS
- Acute infectious hepatitis NOS
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- sequelae of viral hepatitis (B94.2)
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
- carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
- certain localized infections - see body system-related chapters
- infectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-)
- infectious and parasitic diseases specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)
- influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)
Use Additional Code
Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.
- code to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name B17.9, its category, or a range that includes it.
Applicable To 1
These notes mention B17.9.
- O98.4 Viral hepatitis complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
Excludes1 4
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming B17.9: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2 4
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming B17.9: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
- K75.0 Abscess of liveracute or subacute hepatitis NOS (B17.9)
- Block K70-K77 Diseases of liver
- K72 Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified
- T80.6 Other serum reactions
Code First 1
These codes say to code first a condition named in the note, and B17.9 is one of the conditions named.
- M02 Postinfective and reactive arthropathies
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
acute B17.9
infectious B17.9
acute (subacute) B17.9
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. It can damage your liver. This swelling and damage can affect how well your liver functions.
The full article covers:
- What is hepatitis?
- What causes hepatitis?
- How is viral hepatitis spread?
- Who is at risk for hepatitis?
- What are the symptoms of hepatitis?
- What other problems can hepatitis cause?
- How is hepatitis diagnosed?
- What are the treatments for hepatitis?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert B17.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About B17.9Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for acute viral hepatitis, unspecified?
The ICD-10-CM code for acute viral hepatitis, unspecified is B17.9 (sometimes written as B179). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is B17.9 (Other acute viral hepatitis) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report acute viral hepatitis, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does B17.9 group to?
When acute viral hepatitis, unspecified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 793, 791, 442, 441, 443, with relative weights from 0.6890 to 4.2192 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is B17.9 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists B17.9 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 40 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Can B17.9 be reported with B94.2?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at block B15-B19, which applies to B17.9, lists "sequelae of viral hepatitis (B94.2)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
