2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code L29.9Pruritus, unspecified
ICD-10-CM Codes›L00–L99›L20-L30›L29
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
L29.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for pruritus, unspecified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 606 through 607. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified inflammatory condition of skin.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Adverse effect from PUVA photochemotherapy
- Application site itching
- Application site reaction
- Dermatosis of menopause
- Disorder of skin due to human immunodeficiency virus infection
- Generalized pruritus
- Generalized pruritus of unknown etiology
- Hemodialysis-associated pruritus
- Injection site itching
- Injection site pruritus
- Itching
- Itching of lesion of skin
- Itching of pigmented skin lesion
- Itching of skin
- Multifactorial pruritus
- Paraneoplastic pruritus
- Post-herpetic pruritus
- Postmenopausal pruritus
- Pruritic disorder
- Pruritic disorder of skin
- Pruritus caused by antimalarial
- Pruritus caused by drug
- Pruritus caused by hydroxyethyl starch
- Pruritus caused by opioid
- Pruritus due to human immunodeficiency virus infection
- Pruritus due to neurological disorder
- Pruritus due to systemic disorder
- PUVA-induced pruritus
- Solar pruritus
- Uremic pruritus
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to L29.9: its own notes plus those printed at L29, block L20-L30, and Chapter 12. 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.
- Itch NOS
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
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)
- lipomelanotic reticulosis (I89.8)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
- systemic connective tissue disorders (M30-M36)
- viral warts (B07.-)
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- In this block the terms dermatitis and eczema are used synonymously and interchangeably.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
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.
Clinical InformationClinical
Pruritus
an intense itching sensation that produces the urge to rub or scratch the skin to obtain relief.
Patient EducationClinical
Itching
Itching is an irritating sensation that makes you want to scratch your skin. Sometimes it can feel like pain, but it is different. Often, you feel itchy in one area in your body, but sometimes you may feel itching all over. Along with the itching, you may also have a rash or hives.
The full article covers:
- What is itching?
- What causes itching?
- What are the treatments for itching?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert L29.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About L29.9Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for pruritus, unspecified?
The ICD-10-CM code for pruritus, unspecified is L29.9 (sometimes written as L299). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is L29.9 (Pruritus) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report pruritus, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does L29.9 group to?
When pruritus, unspecified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 607, 606, with relative weights from 0.8772 to 1.5721 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can L29.9 be reported with L98.1?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at L29, which applies to L29.9, lists "neurotic excoriation (L98.1)". 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 is the ICD-9 equivalent of L29.9?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, pruritus, unspecified converts to ICD-9-CM 698.9 (pruritic disorder NOS). The mapping is a direct match.
