2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R27.9Unspecified lack of coordination

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R25-R29›R27

ICD-10-CM R27.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

R27.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified lack of coordination. 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. Coders also document this condition as bumps into things. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Nervous system signs and symptoms.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R27.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified lack of coordination
Short Description
Unspecified lack of coordination
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R27
Other lack of coordination

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR25-R29Symptoms and signs involving the nervous and musculoskeletal systems
CategoryR27Other lack of coordination
This CodeR27.9Unspecified lack of coordination

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Bumps into things
  • Clumsy child
  • Coordination problem
  • Finding of pattern of coordination
  • Incoordination
  • Incoordination symptom
  • Stumbling due to lack of coordination
  • Stumbling gait

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R27.9: its own notes plus those printed at R27 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.

From R27 Other lack of coordination applies to 3 codes

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.

From Chapter 18 (R00-R99) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified applies to 774 codes
  • abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • signs and symptoms classified in the body system chapters
  • signs and symptoms of breast (N63, N64.5)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 18 (R00-R99) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified applies to 774 codes
  • 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 R27.9, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming R27.9: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • F82 Specific developmental disorder of motor function
    lack of coordination (R27.-) names R27.-, 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.

CCSR SYM010
Nervous system signs and symptoms
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Movement Disorders

Movement disorders are neurologic conditions that cause problems with movement, such as:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert R27.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
781.3 Lack of coordination
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About R27.9Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified lack of coordination?

The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified lack of coordination is R27.9 (sometimes written as R279). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is R27.9 (Other lack of coordination) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified lack of coordination on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does R27.9 group to?

When unspecified lack of coordination 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 R27.9 be a principal diagnosis?

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

Can R27.9 be reported with R26.0?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at R27, which applies to R27.9, lists "ataxic gait (R26.0)". 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).