2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code D03.20Melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal
ICD-10-CM Codes›C00–D49›D00-D09›D03
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Risk Adjusts — HCC 23
- Chronic Condition
D03.20 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 595 through 596. Coders also document this condition as melanoma in situ of ear. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Skin cancers - melanoma.
For Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, D03.20 maps to CMS-HCC Category 23 (Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors) under the V28 model, adding a risk factor of about 0.186 for a community, non-dual, aged beneficiary in payment year 2027.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing
D03.20 maps to a payment category in the CMS-HCC model used to risk-adjust Medicare Advantage payments. Weights are the published community factors for payment year 2027.
Source: CMS Payment Year 2027 risk adjustment mappings and model software. Weights are relative factors, not dollar amounts; a beneficiary's total RAF also includes demographics and interactions. Browse all CMS-HCC categories.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Melanoma in situ of ear
- Melanoma in situ of external auditory canal
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to D03.20: its own notes plus those printed at block D00-D09 and Chapter 2. 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.
- Bowen's disease
- erythroplasia
- grade III intraepithelial neoplasia
- Queyrat's erythroplasia
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Functional activity
- All neoplasms are classified in this chapter, whether they are functionally active or not. An additional code from Chapter 4 may be used, to identify functional activity associated with any neoplasm.
- Morphology [Histology]
- Chapter 2 classifies neoplasms primarily by site (topography), with broad groupings for behavior, malignant, in situ, benign, etc. The Table of Neoplasms should be used to identify the correct topography code. In a few cases, such as for malignant melanoma and certain neuroendocrine tumors, the morphology (histologic type) is included in the category and codes.
- Primary malignant neoplasms overlapping site boundaries
- A primary malignant neoplasm that overlaps two or more contiguous (next to each other) sites should be classified to the subcategory/code .8 ('overlapping lesion'), unless the combination is specifically indexed elsewhere. For multiple neoplasms of the same site that are not contiguous, such as tumors in different quadrants of the same breast, codes for each site should be assigned.
- Malignant neoplasm of ectopic tissue
- Malignant neoplasms of ectopic tissue are to be coded to the site mentioned, e.g., ectopic pancreatic malignant neoplasms are coded to pancreas, unspecified (C25.9).
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name D03.20, its category, or a range that includes it.
Applicable To 1
These notes mention D03.20.
Excludes1 6
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming D03.20: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- C43 Malignant melanoma of skinmelanoma in situ (D03.-) names D03.-, which includes this code
- D00 Carcinoma in situ of oral cavity, esophagus and stomachmelanoma in situ (D03.-) names D03.-, which includes this code
- D01 Carcinoma in situ of other and unspecified digestive organsmelanoma in situ (D03.-) names D03.-, which includes this code
- D02 Carcinoma in situ of middle ear and respiratory systemmelanoma in situ (D03.-) names D03.-, which includes this code
- D04 Carcinoma in situ of skinmelanoma in situ (D03.-) names D03.-, which includes this code
- D09 Carcinoma in situ of other and unspecified sitesmelanoma in situ (D03.-) names D03.-, which includes this code
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or "ugly looking."
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert D03.20 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About D03.20Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal?
The ICD-10-CM code for melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal is D03.20 (sometimes written as D0320). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is D03.20 (Melanoma in situ of ear and external auricular canal) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does D03.20 group to?
When melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 596, 595, with relative weights from 1.1067 to 2.0230 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of D03.20?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal converts to ICD-9-CM 172.2 (malig melanoma ear). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
What HCC is D03.20?
D03.20 (melanoma in situ of unspecified ear and external auricular canal) maps to CMS-HCC Category 23 (Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors), commonly written as HCC 23, in the CMS-HCC V28 model used for Medicare Advantage risk adjustment in payment year 2027. It mapped to HCC 12 under the retired V24 model. It also maps in the PACE (CMS-HCC V22), ESRD (V21), and ESRD (V24) models. In the Part D prescription drug model it maps to RxHCC 22.
Does D03.20 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?
Yes. When documented and reported on a Medicare Advantage encounter, D03.20 adds a risk adjustment factor of about 0.186 to the beneficiary's RAF score for a community, non-dual, aged enrollee (published V28 weights range from 0.186 to 0.237 depending on the payment segment). A more severe related category (HCC 17, HCC 18, HCC 19, HCC 20, HCC 21, and HCC 22) supersedes it when both are reported. See the full factor table on the HCC 23 category page.
