2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code O98.12Syphilis complicating childbirth
ICD-10-CM Codes›O00-O9A›O94-O9A›O98
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- CC — Complication or Comorbidity
- Not Chronic
O98.12 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for syphilis complicating childbirth. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 998. 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 97 closely related codes. The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to maternity cases (age 9 through 64). Coders also document this condition as maternal syphilis during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Complications specified during childbirth and Sexually transmitted infections (excluding HIV and hepatitis).
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for O98.12.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Maternal syphilis during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Sexually transmitted infectious disease in mother complicating childbirth
- Syphilis in mother complicating childbirth
- Venereal disease in pregnancy
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to O98.12: its own notes plus those printed at O98 and Chapter 15. 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.
- the listed conditions when complicating the pregnant state, when aggravated by the pregnancy, or as a reason for obstetric care
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- supervision of normal pregnancy (Z34.-)
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.
Use Additional Code
Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.
- code (Chapter 1), to identify specific infectious or parasitic disease
- code, if applicable, from category Z3A, Weeks of gestation, to identify the specific week of the pregnancy, if known.
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- CODES FROM THIS CHAPTER ARE FOR USE ONLY ON MATERNAL RECORDS, NEVER ON NEWBORN RECORDS
- Codes from this chapter are for use for conditions related to or aggravated by the pregnancy, childbirth, or by the puerperium (maternal causes or obstetric causes)
- Trimesters are counted from the first day of the last menstrual period. They are defined as follows:
- 1st trimester- less than 14 weeks 0 days
- 2nd trimester- 14 weeks 0 days to less than 28 weeks 0 days
- 3rd trimester- 28 weeks 0 days until delivery
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name O98.12, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes2 2
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming O98.12: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
- Chapter 1 (A00-B99) Certain infectious and parasitic diseasesinfectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-) names O98.-, which includes this code
- O23 Infections of genitourinary tract in pregnancysyphilis complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.1) names O98.1, 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.
Patient EducationClinical
Childbirth Problems
Childbirth is the process of giving birth to a baby. It includes labor and delivery. Usually everything goes well, but problems can happen. They may cause a risk to the mother, baby, or both. Some of the more common childbirth problems include:
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert O98.12 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About O98.12Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for syphilis complicating childbirth?
The ICD-10-CM code for syphilis complicating childbirth is O98.12 (sometimes written as O9812). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is O98.12 a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report syphilis complicating childbirth on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does O98.12 group to?
When syphilis complicating childbirth is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 998 (principal Diagnosis Invalid as Discharge Diagnosis), which carries a relative weight of 0. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is O98.12 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists O98.12 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 97 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Who can O98.12 be reported for?
The Medicare Code Editor checks syphilis complicating childbirth against patient demographics: this code is intended for maternity cases (age 9 through 64). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.
