2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code K70.9Alcoholic liver disease, unspecified
ICD-10-CM Codes›K00–K95›K70-K77›K70
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Chronic Condition
K70.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for alcoholic liver disease, unspecified. 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 alcoholic liver damage. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Alcohol-related disorders and Other specified and unspecified liver disease.
K70.9 no longer risk-adjusts for Medicare Advantage: it mapped to HCC 28 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 28, ESRD (V21) category 28, and ESRD (V24) category 28 for payment year 2027.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for K70.9.
Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing
K70.9 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.
- Alcoholic liver damage
- Bleeding esophageal varices
- Bleeding esophageal varices due to alcoholic liver disease
- Chronic alcoholic liver disease
- Esophageal varices associated with another disorder
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to K70.9: 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name K70.9, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming K70.9: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2 2
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming K70.9: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Disease, diseased See Also: Syndrome;
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Liver Diseases, Alcoholic
liver diseases associated with alcoholism. it usually refers to the coexistence of two or more subentities, i.e., alcoholic fatty liver; alcoholic hepatitis; and alcoholic 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 K70.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About K70.9Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for alcoholic liver disease, unspecified?
The ICD-10-CM code for alcoholic liver disease, unspecified is K70.9 (sometimes written as K709). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is K70.9 (Alcoholic liver disease) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report alcoholic liver disease, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does K70.9 group to?
When alcoholic liver disease, unspecified 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 K70.9 be reported for?
The Medicare Code Editor checks alcoholic liver disease, unspecified against patient demographics: this code is intended for adult patients (age 15 through 124). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.
Can K70.9 be reported with R17?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at block K70-K77, which applies to K70.9, 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).
Does K70.9 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?
Not for Medicare Advantage. K70.9 mapped to HCC 28 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 28 (Cirrhosis of Liver), ESRD (V21) category 28 (Cirrhosis of Liver), and ESRD (V24) category 28 (Cirrhosis of Liver).
