2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R20.9Unspecified disturbances of skin sensation
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R20-R23›R20
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R20.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified disturbances of skin sensation. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 91 through 93. 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 Skin/Subcutaneous signs and symptoms.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Altered sensation of skin
- Finding of sensation by site
- Impaired tactile sensation of limb
- Loss of protective sensation of skin
- Loss of protective sensation of skin of foot
- Peripheral vascular disease of foot with loss of protective sensation
- Peripheral vascular disease of foot with loss of protective sensation and deformity
- Sensory disorder
- Sensory disorder as a late effect of cerebrovascular disease
- Sensory disturbance in limb
- Sensory symptoms
- Skin sensation disturbance
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R20.9: its own notes plus those printed at R20, block R20-R23, and Chapter 18. 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.
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.
- This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill-defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.
- Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated 'not otherwise specified', 'unknown etiology' or 'transient'. The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.
- The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories R00-R94 consist of:
- (a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;
- (b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;
- (c) provisional diagnosis in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;
- (d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;
- (e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;
- (f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name R20.9, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes2 1
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming R20.9: 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.
Disturbance (s) See Also: Disease;
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Peripheral Nerve Disorders
Nerves are like wires that carry messages back and forth between your brain and your body. Your peripheral nerves branch off from your brain and spinal cord and connect to all parts of your body, including your muscles and organs.
The full article covers:
- What are peripheral nerves?
- What are peripheral nerve disorders?
- What causes peripheral nerve disorders?
- What are the symptoms of peripheral nerve disorders?
- How are peripheral nerve disorders diagnosed?
- What are the treatments for peripheral nerve disorders?
- Can peripheral nerve disorders be prevented?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R20.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R20.9Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified disturbances of skin sensation?
The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified disturbances of skin sensation is R20.9 (sometimes written as R209). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is R20.9 (Disturbances of skin sensation) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified disturbances of skin sensation on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does R20.9 group to?
When unspecified disturbances of skin sensation is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 91, 92, 93, with relative weights from 0.7783 to 1.7050 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R20.9 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the unspecified disturbances of skin sensation is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
Can R20.9 be reported with F44.6?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at R20, which applies to R20.9, lists "dissociative anesthesia and sensory loss (F44.6)". 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).
