2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K70.10Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites

ICD-10-CM Codes›K00–K95›K70-K77›K70

ICD-10-CM K70.10
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

K70.10 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for alcoholic hepatitis without ascites. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 432 through 434. The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to adult patients (age 15 through 124). Coders also document this condition as acute alcoholic liver disease. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Alcohol-related disorders and Hepatitis.

For Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, K70.10 maps to CMS-HCC Category 65 (Chronic Hepatitis) under the V28 model, adding a risk factor of about 0.185 for a community, non-dual, aged beneficiary in payment year 2027.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
K70.10
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites
Short Description
Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
K70.1
Alcoholic hepatitis

Code Classification

ChapterK00–K95Diseases of the digestive system
SectionK70-K77Diseases of liver
CategoryK70Alcoholic liver disease
This CodeK70.10Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for K70.10.

Adult diagnoses
The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in adult cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The adult code edits apply to patients age range is 15–124 years inclusive (e.g., senile delirium, mature cataract).

Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing

K70.10 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 65— Chronic Hepatitis
Payment HCC · PY 2027 one of 17 ICD-10-CM codes in this category
Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) Weight
+0.185
community, non-dual, aged · ranges 0.101–0.378 across segments
Hierarchy
Superseded by HCC 62, HCC 63, and HCC 64
a more severe related category takes the payment when both are reported
Prior Model (CMS-HCC V24)
Not mapped under V24
this diagnosis newly risk-adjusts under the V28 model
Part D (RxHCC)
Not mapped
K70.10 does not risk-adjust in the RxHCC prescription drug model

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.

  • Acute alcoholic liver disease
  • Acute on chronic alcoholic liver disease
  • Alcoholic hepatitis
  • Chronic alcoholic hepatitis
  • Chronic alcoholic liver disease
  • Drug-induced chronic hepatitis
  • Drug-induced hepatitis
  • Poisoning caused by alcohol
  • Steatohepatitis
  • Steatohepatitis caused by alcohol

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to K70.10: its own notes plus those printed at K70, block K70-K77, and Chapter 11. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

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

From Block K70-K77 Diseases of liver applies to 65 codes
  • jaundice NOS (R17)

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 Block K70-K77 Diseases of liver applies to 65 codes
From Chapter 11 (K00-K95) Diseases of the digestive system applies to 863 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)

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From K70 Alcoholic liver disease applies to 9 codes
  • code to identify:
  • alcohol abuse and dependence (F10.-)

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

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name K70.10, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 3

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming K70.10: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • K73 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
    alcoholic hepatitis (chronic) (K70.1-) names K70.1-, which includes this code
  • K77 Liver disorders in diseases classified elsewhere
    alcoholic hepatitis (K70.1-) names K70.1-, which includes this code
  • K77 Liver disorders in diseases classified elsewhere
    alcoholic liver disease (K70.-) names K70.-, which includes this code

Excludes2 2

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming K70.10: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • K71 Toxic liver disease
    alcoholic liver disease (K70.-) names K70.-, which includes this code
  • K76 Other diseases of liver
    alcoholic liver disease (K70.-) names K70.-, which includes this code

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 MBD017
Alcohol-related disorders
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR INF007
Hepatitis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Hepatitis, Alcoholic

    inflammation of the liver due to alcohol abuse. it is characterized by necrosis of hepatocytes, infiltration by neutrophils, and deposit of mallory bodies. depending on its severity, the inflammatory lesion may be reversible or progress to liver cirrhosis.

Patient EducationClinical

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. Your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD) depends on how much, how often, and how quickly you drink alcohol. Alcohol misuse means that drinking causes distress and harm. Over time alcohol misuse can increase your risk of AUD.

The full article covers:

  • What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
  • What is binge drinking?
  • What are the dangers of too much alcohol?
  • How do I know if I have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
  • What should I do if I think that I might have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert K70.10 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
571.1 Ac alcoholic hepatitis
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 K70.10Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for alcoholic hepatitis without ascites?

The ICD-10-CM code for alcoholic hepatitis without ascites is K70.10 (sometimes written as K7010). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is K70.10 (Alcoholic hepatitis) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report alcoholic hepatitis without ascites on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does K70.10 group to?

When alcoholic hepatitis without ascites is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 433, 434, 432, with relative weights from 0.6247 to 1.9828 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Who can K70.10 be reported for?

The Medicare Code Editor checks alcoholic hepatitis without ascites against patient demographics: this code is intended for adult patients (age 15 through 124). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.

Can K70.10 be reported with R17?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at block K70-K77, which applies to K70.10, lists "jaundice NOS (R17)". 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 K70.10?

K70.10 (alcoholic hepatitis without ascites) maps to CMS-HCC Category 65 (Chronic Hepatitis), commonly written as HCC 65, in the CMS-HCC V28 model used for Medicare Advantage risk adjustment in payment year 2027. It does not map to any RxHCC in the Part D prescription drug model.

Does K70.10 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?

Yes. When documented and reported on a Medicare Advantage encounter, K70.10 adds a risk adjustment factor of about 0.185 to the beneficiary's RAF score for a community, non-dual, aged enrollee (published V28 weights range from 0.101 to 0.378 depending on the payment segment). A more severe related category (HCC 62, HCC 63, and HCC 64) supersedes it when both are reported. See the full factor table on the HCC 65 category page.