2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code G83.4Cauda equina syndrome

ICD-10-CM Codes›G00–G99›G80-G83›G83

ICD-10-CM G83.4
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

G83.4 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for cauda equina syndrome. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 73 through 74. 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 26 closely related codes. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Paralysis (other than cerebral palsy).

For Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, G83.4 maps to CMS-HCC Category 182 (Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries) under the V28 model, adding a risk factor of about 0.478 for a community, non-dual, aged beneficiary in payment year 2027.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
G83.4
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Cauda equina syndrome
Short Description
Cauda equina syndrome
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
G83
Other paralytic syndromes

Code Classification

ChapterG00–G99Diseases of the nervous system
SectionG80-G83Cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes
CategoryG83Other paralytic syndromes
This CodeG83.4Cauda equina syndrome

Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing

G83.4 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.

CMS-HCC V28 Category (Payment Model)
HCC 182— Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries
Payment HCC · PY 2027 one of 251 ICD-10-CM codes in this category
Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) Weight
+0.478
community, non-dual, aged · ranges 0.270–0.478 across segments
Hierarchy
Superseded by HCC 180, HCC 181, HCC 191, and HCC 192
a more severe related category takes the payment when both are reported
Prior Model (CMS-HCC V24)
HCC 72
V24 retired V28 pays 100% of MA risk scores since PY 2026
Other CMS Models
PACE (CMS-HCC V22): HCC 72 · ESRD (V21): HCC 72 · ESRD (V24): HCC 72
ESRD V21 weights: 0.102 dialysis, 0.256–0.456 functioning graft · ESRD V24 weights: 0.099 dialysis, 0.222–0.523 functioning graft
Part D (RxHCC)
RxHCC 155 — Spinal Cord Disorders
also risk-adjusts in the Part D prescription drug model (V08)

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.

  • Cauda equina compression due to inflammatory disorder
  • Cauda equina compression due to spinal injury
  • Cauda equina syndrome
  • Cauda equina syndrome due to infection
  • Cauda equina syndrome due to spinal stenosis
  • Cauda equina syndrome due to vascular disorder
  • Cauda equina syndrome not affecting bladder
  • Cauda equina syndrome with cord bladder
  • Cauda equina syndrome with neurogenic urinary bladder
  • Cauda equina syndrome with painless urinary retention
  • Cauda equina syndrome without neurogenic bladder
  • Compression of cauda equina
  • Compression of cauda equina due to lumbar vertebral stenosis
  • Incomplete cauda equina syndrome
  • Lumbar disc prolapse with cauda equina compression
  • Peripheral neuropathy due to inflammation
  • Post-procedural cauda equina syndrome
  • Retention of urine
  • Stenosis of lumbar vertebral foramen
  • Stenosis of vertebral foramen

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to G83.4: its own notes plus those printed at G83 and Chapter 6. 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.

From G83 Other paralytic syndromes applies to 24 codes
  • paralysis (complete) (incomplete), except as in G80-G82

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.

  • Neurogenic bladder due to cauda equina syndrome

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • cord bladder NOS (G95.89)
  • neurogenic bladder NOS (N31.9)

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.

From Chapter 6 (G00-G99) Diseases of the nervous system applies to 700 codes
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From G83 Other paralytic syndromes applies to 24 codes
  • This category is to be used only when the listed conditions are reported without further specification, or are stated to be old or longstanding but of unspecified cause. The category is also for use in multiple coding to identify these conditions resulting from any cause.

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name G83.4, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 2

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming G83.4: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • G95.8 Other specified diseases of spinal cord
    neurogenic bladder due to cauda equina syndrome (G83.4)
  • N31 Neuromuscular dysfunction of bladder, not elsewhere classified
    neurogenic bladder due to cauda equina syndrome (G83.4)

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR NVS008
Paralysis (other than cerebral palsy)
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Cauda Equina Syndrome

    compressive lesion affecting the nerve roots of the cauda equina (e.g., compression, herniation, inflammation, rupture, or stenosis), which controls the function of the bladder and bowel. symptoms may include neurological dysfunction of bladder or bowels, loss of sexual sensation and altered sensation or paralysis in the lower extremities.

Patient EducationClinical

Peripheral Nerve Disorders

Nerves are like wires that carry messages back and forth between your brain and your body. Your peripheral nerves branch off from your brain and spinal cord and connect to all parts of your body, including your muscles and organs.

The full article covers:

  • What are peripheral nerves?
  • What are peripheral nerve disorders?
  • What causes peripheral nerve disorders?
  • What are the symptoms of peripheral nerve disorders?
  • How are peripheral nerve disorders diagnosed?
  • What are the treatments for peripheral nerve disorders?
  • Can peripheral nerve disorders be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert G83.4 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
344.60 Cauda equina synd NOS
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
344.61 Neurogenic bladder
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About G83.4Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for cauda equina syndrome?

The ICD-10-CM code for cauda equina syndrome is G83.4 (sometimes written as G834). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is G83.4 (Other paralytic syndromes) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report cauda equina syndrome on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does G83.4 group to?

When cauda equina syndrome is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 74, 73, with relative weights from 1.0172 to 1.5773 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is G83.4 a CC or MCC?

CMS lists G83.4 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 26 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

Can G83.4 be reported with G95.89?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on G83.4 lists "cord bladder NOS (G95.89)". 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).

What HCC is G83.4?

G83.4 (cauda equina syndrome) maps to CMS-HCC Category 182 (Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries), commonly written as HCC 182, in the CMS-HCC V28 model used for Medicare Advantage risk adjustment in payment year 2027. It mapped to HCC 72 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 155.

Does G83.4 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?

Yes. When documented and reported on a Medicare Advantage encounter, G83.4 adds a risk adjustment factor of about 0.478 to the beneficiary's RAF score for a community, non-dual, aged enrollee (published V28 weights range from 0.270 to 0.478 depending on the payment segment). A more severe related category (HCC 180, HCC 181, HCC 191, and HCC 192) supersedes it when both are reported. See the full factor table on the HCC 182 category page.