2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code E88.AWasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition
ICD-10-CM Codes›E00–E89›E70-E88›E88
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not a Principal Diagnosis
- Chronic Condition
E88.A is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 642. The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor. Coders also document this condition as wasting disease. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other general signs and symptoms and Other specified and unspecified nutritional and metabolic disorders.
E88.A no longer risk-adjusts for Medicare Advantage: it mapped to HCC 21 under the retired CMS-HCC V24 model through payment year 2025 but maps to no category in the live V28 model. It still risk-adjusts in the PACE (CMS-HCC V22) category 21, ESRD (V21) category 21, and ESRD (V24) category 21 for payment year 2027.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for E88.A.
Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing
E88.A no longer risk-adjusts for Medicare Advantage: it maps to no payment category in the live CMS-HCC V28 model, although it still risk-adjusts in the other CMS models shown below.
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.
- Wasting disease
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to E88.A: its own notes plus those printed at E88, block E70-E88, and Chapter 4. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
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.
- Cachexia due to underlying condition
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- histiocytosis X (chronic) (C96.6)
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.
- Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (Q79.6-)
Code First
The underlying condition named in the note is sequenced before this code.
- underlying condition
Use Additional Code
Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.
- codes for associated conditions
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- All neoplasms, whether functionally active or not, are classified in Chapter 2. Appropriate codes in this chapter (i.e. E05.8, E07.0, E16-E31, E34.-) may be used as additional codes to indicate either functional activity by neoplasms and ectopic endocrine tissue or hyperfunction and hypofunction of endocrine glands associated with neoplasms and other conditions classified elsewhere.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name E88.A, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming E88.A: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- R64 Cachexiacachexia due to underlying condition (E88.A)
Use Additional Code 4
These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and E88.A is one of the codes named.
- Block A15-A19 Tuberculosiscode, if applicable, for associated cachexia (E88.A)
- E23.0 Hypopituitarismcode, if applicable, for associated cachexia (E88.A)
- J65 Pneumoconiosis associated with tuberculosiscode, if applicable, for associated cachexia (E88.A)
- N18 Chronic kidney disease (CKD)associated cachexia (E88.A)
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
malnutrition See Also: Malnutrition, severe; E88.A
underlying condition E88.A
Disease, diseased See Also: Syndrome;
wasting NEC E88.A
underlying condition E88.A
Syndrome See Also: Disease;
disease (syndrome) E88.A
underlying condition E88.A
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Code History & ChangesHistory
Replacement E88.A replaces the following previously assigned code(s):
- R64 - Cachexia
Questions About E88.AOverview
What is the ICD-10 code for wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition?
The ICD-10-CM code for wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition is E88.A (sometimes written as E88A). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is E88.A (Other and unspecified metabolic disorders) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does E88.A group to?
On inpatient claims, wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition maps to MS-DRG 642 (inborn and Other Disorders of Metabolism), which carries a relative weight of 1.3226. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can E88.A be a principal diagnosis?
No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.
Can E88.A be reported with R64?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on E88.A lists "cachexia NOS (R64)". 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).
Does E88.A risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?
Not for Medicare Advantage. E88.A mapped to HCC 21 in the retired CMS-HCC V24 model, which last determined payment in 2025, but it maps to no category in the live V28 model; see all codes that no longer risk-adjust. It still risk-adjusts in the PACE (CMS-HCC V22) category 21 (Protein-Calorie Malnutrition), ESRD (V21) category 21 (Protein-Calorie Malnutrition), and ESRD (V24) category 21 (Protein-Calorie Malnutrition).
