2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S14.159DOther incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter
S14.159D is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter. The 7th character D marks it as a subsequent encounter code, used during routine care in the healing or recovery phase. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 949 through 950. The code is exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Spinal cord injury (SCI), subsequent encounter.
For Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, S14.159D maps to CMS-HCC Category 182 (Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries) under the V28 model, adding a risk factor of about 0.478 for a community, non-dual, aged beneficiary in payment year 2027.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
S14.159D is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review the other POA exempt codes in Injuries to the neck (S10-S19).
Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing
S14.159D 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.
- Closed fracture of C1-C4 level with incomplete cord lesion
- Closed fracture of C1-C4 level with spinal cord injury
- Closed fracture of C5-C7 level with incomplete spinal cord lesion
- Closed fracture of C5-C7 level with spinal cord injury
- Closed spinal fracture with anterior cervical cord lesion, C5-7
- Closed spinal fracture with posterior cervical cord lesion, C1-4
- Closed spinal fracture with posterior cervical cord lesion, C5-7
- Contusion of cervical cord
- Contusion of cervical vertebral column region
- Contusion of spinal cord
- Incomplete cord syndrome of cervical spinal cord
- Incomplete spinal cord lesion at C5-C7 level without bone injury
- Injury at C5-C7 level with spinal cord injury AND without bone injury
- Injury of cervical spinal cord due to closed fracture of cervical spine
- Laceration of cervical cord
- Laceration of spinal cord
- Open fracture of C1-C4 level with incomplete spinal cord lesion
- Open fracture of C1-C4 level with spinal cord injury
- Open spinal fracture with posterior cervical cord lesion, C1-4
- Posterior cervical spinal cord injury without spinal bone injury, C5-7
- Posterior cord syndrome due to closed fracture of C1-C4 level
- Posterior cord syndrome due to closed fracture of C5-C7 level
- Posterior cord syndrome due to open fracture of C1-C4 level
- Posterior cord syndrome of cervical spinal cord
- Posterior cord syndrome of cervical spinal cord due to open dislocation of cervical spine
- Posterior cord syndrome of cervical spinal cord due to open subluxation of cervical spine
- Posterior cord syndrome of cervical spine due to closed dislocation of cervical spine
- Posterior cord syndrome of cervical spine due to closed subluxation of cervical spine
- Spinal subluxation with cervical cord lesion
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of nerves and spinal cord at neck level (S14). Use the following options for the applicable episode of care:
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to S14.159D: its own notes plus those printed at S14, block S10-S19, and Chapter 19. 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.
- injuries of nape
- injuries of supraclavicular region
- injuries of throat
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 to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)
Code Also
A second code may be needed to fully describe the condition; the note gives no sequencing direction.
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Code to highest level of cervical cord injury
- Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
- The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.
7th Character
Every code in the category takes a 7th character from the listed values, with the placeholder X filling any empty positions before it.
- The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S14
- Ainitial encounter
- Dsubsequent encounter this code
- Ssequela
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name S14.159D, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming S14.159D: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Code First 2
These codes say to code first a condition named in the note, and S14.159D is one of the conditions named.
Use Additional Code 1
These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and S14.159D is one of the codes named.
Code Also 2
These codes say S14.159D may also be needed to fully describe the condition. The note gives no sequencing direction.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Neck Injuries and Disorders
Any part of your neck - muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, or nerves - can cause neck problems. Neck pain is very common. Pain may also come from your shoulder, jaw, head, or upper arms.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert S14.159D to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S14.159DOverview
Is S14.159D a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What does the 7th character D in S14.159D mean?
The final character D marks a subsequent encounter: use it for routine care while the other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord is healing, after active treatment has ended.
What MS-DRG does S14.159D group to?
When other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 950, 949, with relative weights from 0.7661 to 1.1231 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is S14.159D 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 other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter on inpatient claims. The code appears in the Injuries to the neck (S10-S19) range of the CMS exempt list.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S14.159D?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter converts to ICD-9-CM V58.89 (other specfied aftercare). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
What HCC is S14.159D?
S14.159D (other incomplete lesion at unspecified level of cervical spinal cord, subsequent encounter) maps to CMS-HCC Category 182 (Spinal Cord Disorders/Injuries), commonly written as HCC 182, in the CMS-HCC V28 model used for Medicare Advantage risk adjustment in payment year 2027. It mapped to HCC 72 under the retired V24 model. It also maps in the PACE (CMS-HCC V22), ESRD (V21), and ESRD (V24) models. It does not map to any RxHCC in the Part D prescription drug model.
Does S14.159D risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?
Yes. When documented and reported on a Medicare Advantage encounter, S14.159D adds a risk adjustment factor of about 0.478 to the beneficiary's RAF score for a community, non-dual, aged enrollee (published V28 weights range from 0.270 to 0.478 depending on the payment segment). A more severe related category (HCC 180, HCC 181, HCC 191, and HCC 192) supersedes it when both are reported. See the full factor table on the HCC 182 category page.