2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q42.3Congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula
ICD-10-CM Codes›Q00-Q99›Q38-Q45›Q42
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- CC — Complication or Comorbidity
- Risk Adjusts — HCC 78
- POA Exempt
- Chronic Condition
Q42.3 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 393 through 395. 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 8 closely related codes. The code is exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Digestive congenital anomalies.
For Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, Q42.3 maps to CMS-HCC Category 78 (Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation) under the V28 model, adding a risk factor of about 0.326 for a community, non-dual, aged beneficiary in payment year 2027.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
Q42.3 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review the other POA exempt codes in Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45).
Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing
Q42.3 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.
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.
- Anal atresia
- Ankyloblepharon
- Ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum
- Ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum with imperforate anus syndrome
- Anorectal agenesis
- Anorectal stricture
- Anus absent
- Atresia and stenosis of large intestine, rectum and anal canal
- Congenital absence of anus
- Congenital ankyloblepharon
- Congenital occlusion of anus
- Congenital stricture of anus
- Low anorectal malformation
- PELVIS syndrome
- Spondylocostal dysostosis with anal atresia and genitourinary malformation syndrome
- Stenosis of anal canal
- Stricture of anal canal
- Stricture of anus
- VACTERL syndrome with hydrocephalus
- Vertebral abnormalities, anal atresia, cardiac abnormalities, tracheo-esophageal fistula, renal anomalies, limb defects syndrome
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Q42.3: its own notes plus those printed at Q42 and Chapter 17. 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.
- congenital obstruction, occlusion and stricture of large intestine
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.
- Imperforate anus
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.
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Codes from this chapter are not for use on maternal records
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name Q42.3, its category, or a range that includes it.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
anus, anal (canal) Q42.3
Imperforate (congenital) See Also: Atresia;
anus Q42.3
Impervious (congenital) See Also: Atresia;
anus Q42.3
Septum, septate (congenital) See Also: Anomaly, by site;
anal Q42.3
Stenosis, stenotic (cicatricial) See Also: Stricture;
Stricture See Also: Stenosis;
congenital Q42.3
infantile Q42.3
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Anal Disorders
Your anus is the opening at the end of your large intestine. It is where stool (poop) leaves your body.
The full article covers:
- What is the anus?
- What are anal disorders?
- What are the symptoms of anal disorders?
- How are anal disorders diagnosed?
- How are anal disorders treated?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert Q42.3 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About Q42.3Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula?
The ICD-10-CM code for congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula is Q42.3 (sometimes written as Q423). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is Q42.3 (Congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of large intestine) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does Q42.3 group to?
When congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 394, 395, 393, with relative weights from 0.6379 to 1.5877 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is Q42.3 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists Q42.3 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 8 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Is Q42.3 exempt from POA reporting?
Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula on inpatient claims. The code appears in the Other congenital malformations of the digestive system (Q38-Q45) range of the CMS exempt list.
What HCC is Q42.3?
Q42.3 (congenital absence, atresia and stenosis of anus without fistula) maps to CMS-HCC Category 78 (Intestinal Obstruction/Perforation), commonly written as HCC 78, 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 Q42.3 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?
Yes. When documented and reported on a Medicare Advantage encounter, Q42.3 adds a risk adjustment factor of about 0.326 to the beneficiary's RAF score for a community, non-dual, aged enrollee (published V28 weights range from 0.326 to 0.688 depending on the payment segment). A more severe related category (HCC 77) supersedes it when both are reported. See the full factor table on the HCC 78 category page.