2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S65.509AUnspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S60-S69›S65

ICD-10-CM S65.509A
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S65.509A is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter. The 7th character A marks it as an initial encounter code, used while the patient is receiving active treatment. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 913 through 914, 963 through 965. 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 111 closely related codes. The code is flagged as an unspecified code, since codes identifying laterality exist in the same family. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Injury to blood vessels, initial encounter.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S65.509A
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter
Short Description
Unsp injury of blood vessel of unsp finger, init encntr
Parent Code
S65.509
Unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS60-S69Injuries to the wrist, hand and fingers
CategoryS65Injury of blood vessels at wrist and hand level
This CodeS65.509AUnspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for S65.509A.

Unspecified codes
Unspecified codes exist in the ICD-10-CM classification for circumstances when documentation in the medical record does not provide the level of detail needed to support reporting a more specific code. However, in the inpatient setting, there should generally be very limited and rare circumstances for which the laterality (right, left, bilateral) of a condition is unable to be documented and reported. The following pages contain the list of unspecified ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for which there is a more specific code to identify laterality (right, left, bilateral) within that code family.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Closed injury of digital artery of hand
  • Closed injury of digital vein of finger
  • Injury of blood vessel of finger
  • Injury of digital artery of hand
  • Injury of digital vein of finger
  • Injury of digital vessel of index finger
  • Injury of digital vessel of little finger
  • Injury of digital vessel of middle finger
  • Injury of digital vessel of ring finger
  • Left finger blood vessel injury
  • Open injury of digital artery of hand
  • Open injury of digital vein of finger
  • Right finger blood vessel injury

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of blood vessels at wrist and hand level (S65). 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 S65.509A: its own notes plus those printed at S65, block S60-S69, and Chapter 19. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

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 Block S60-S69 Injuries to the wrist, hand and fingers applies to 5,118 codes
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • frostbite (T33-T34)
  • insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • 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.

From S65 Injury of blood vessels at wrist and hand level applies to 279 codes
  • any associated open wound (S61.-)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • 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.

From S65 Injury of blood vessels at wrist and hand level applies to 279 codes
  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S65
Values for category S65 Encounter: Initial, Subsequent, Sequela
  • Ainitial encounter this code
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • 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 S65.509A, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes2 1

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming S65.509A: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • S55 Injury of blood vessels at forearm level
    injury of blood vessels at wrist and hand level (S65.-) names S65.-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR INJ016
Injury to blood vessels, initial encounter
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Finger Injuries and Disorders

You use your fingers and thumbs to do everything from grasping objects to playing musical instruments to typing. When there is something wrong with them, it can make life difficult. Common problems include:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert S65.509A to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
903.5 Injury finger vessels
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 S65.509AOverview

Is S65.509A (Unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What does the 7th character A in S65.509A mean?

The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.

What MS-DRG does S65.509A group to?

When unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 964, 965, 914, 913, 963, with relative weights from 0.9281 to 2.6361 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is S65.509A a CC or MCC?

CMS lists S65.509A 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 111 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S65.509A?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury of blood vessel of unspecified finger, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 903.5 (injury finger vessels). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.