2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R17Unspecified jaundice

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R10-R19›R17

ICD-10-CM R17
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

R17 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified jaundice. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 441 through 443. As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R17
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified jaundice
Chapter
R10-R19
Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR10-R19Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen
CategoryR17Unspecified jaundice
This CodeR17Unspecified jaundice

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute cholestatic jaundice syndrome
  • Bilirubin level - finding
  • Bilirubin level above reference range
  • Cholestatic jaundice caused by drug
  • Cholestatic jaundice syndrome
  • Chronic cholestatic jaundice syndrome
  • Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia
  • Direct bilirubin above reference range
  • Finding of color of limb
  • Hepatocellular jaundice
  • Inherited renal tubule insufficiency with cholestatic jaundice
  • Jaundice
  • Jaundiced appearance of face
  • Jaundiced appearance of limbs
  • Maternal perinatal jaundice
  • Obstructive hyperbilirubinemia
  • Postoperative jaundice
  • Total bilirubin above reference range

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Type 1 Excludes

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Elevated, elevation
      • liver function
        • test
          • bilirubin
    • Icterus
      • conjunctiva
    • Jaundice(yellow)
    • Jaundice(yellow)
      • cholestatic (benign)
    • Jaundice(yellow)
      • symptomatic

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR SYM006
Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Jaundice

    a clinical manifestation of hyperbilirubinemia, characterized by the yellowish staining of the skin; mucous membrane; and sclera. clinical jaundice usually is a sign of liver dysfunction.

  • Jaundice, Chronic Idiopathic

    a benign, autosomally recessive inherited hyperbilirubinemia characterized by the presence of a dark pigment in the centrilobular region of the liver cells. there is a functional defect in biliary excretion of bilirubin, cholephilic dyes, and porphyrins. affected persons may be asymptomatic or have vague constitutional or gastrointestinal symptoms. the liver may be slightly enlarged, and oral and intravenous cholangiography fails to visualize the biliary tract.

  • Jaundice, Neonatal

    yellow discoloration of the skin; mucous membrane; and sclera in the newborn. it is a sign of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. most cases are transient self-limiting (physiological neonatal jaundice) occurring in the first week of life, but some can be a sign of pathological disorders, particularly liver diseases.

  • Jaundice, Obstructive

    jaundice, the condition with yellowish staining of the skin and mucous membranes, that is due to impaired bile flow in the biliary tract, such as intrahepatic cholestasis, or extrahepatic cholestasis.

  • Weil Disease

    a severe form of leptospirosis, usually caused by leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae and occasionally other serovars. it is transmitted to humans by the rat and is characterized by hemorrhagic and renal symptoms with accompanying jaundice.

Patient EducationClinical

Jaundice

Jaundice causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellow. Too much bilirubin causes jaundice. Bilirubin is a yellow chemical in hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. As red blood cells break down, your body builds new cells to replace them. The old ones are processed by the liver.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert R17 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
782.4 Jaundice NOS
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About R17Overview

Is R17 (Unspecified jaundice) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified jaundice on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does R17 group to?

When unspecified jaundice is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 441, 442, 443, with relative weights from 0.6997 to 1.7947 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can R17 be a principal diagnosis?

Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the unspecified jaundice is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R17?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified jaundice converts to ICD-9-CM 782.4 (jaundice NOS). The mapping is a direct match.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.