2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z02.79Encounter for issue of other medical certificate

ICD-10-CM Codes›Z00–Z99›Z00-Z13›Z02

ICD-10-CM Z02.79
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

Z02.79 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for encounter for issue of other medical certificate. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 951. The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor and exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Encounter for administrative purposes.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Z02.79
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Encounter for issue of other medical certificate
Short Description
Encounter for issue of other medical certificate
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Z02.7
Encounter for issue of medical certificate

Code Classification

ChapterZ00–Z99Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
SectionZ00-Z13Persons encountering health services for examinations
CategoryZ02Encounter for administrative examination
This CodeZ02.79Encounter for issue of other medical certificate

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z02.79.

Unacceptable principal diagnosis
There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Present on Admission (POA)Billing

Z02.79 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review the other POA exempt codes in Persons encountering health services for examinations (Z00-Z13).

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Z02.79: its own notes plus those printed at Z02.7, block Z00-Z13, and Chapter 21. 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 Z02.7 Encounter for issue of medical certificate applies to 2 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 Block Z00-Z13 Persons encountering health services for examinations applies to 156 codes
  • examinations related to pregnancy and reproduction (Z30-Z36, Z39.-)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Block Z00-Z13 Persons encountering health services for examinations applies to 156 codes
  • Nonspecific abnormal findings disclosed at the time of these examinations are classified to categories R70-R94.
From Chapter 21 (Z00-Z99) Factors influencing health status and contact with health services applies to 1,425 codes
  • Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
  • (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
  • (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name Z02.79, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 2

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming Z02.79: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • Z00 Encounter for general examination without complaint, suspected or reported diagnosis
    encounter for examination for administrative purposes (Z02.-) names Z02.-, which includes this code
  • Z01 Encounter for other special examination without complaint, suspected or reported diagnosis
    encounter for examination for administrative purposes (Z02.-) names Z02.-, which includes this code

Excludes2 2

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming Z02.79: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • Z71.84 Encounter for health counseling related to travel
    encounter for administrative examination (Z02.-) names Z02.-, which includes this code
  • Z76.0 Encounter for issue of repeat prescription
    issue of medical certificate (Z02.7) names Z02.7, 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 FAC001
Encounter for administrative purposes
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient Yes

Convert Z02.79 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
V68.09 Issue of med certif NEC
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 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About Z02.79Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for encounter for issue of other medical certificate?

The ICD-10-CM code for encounter for issue of other medical certificate is Z02.79 (sometimes written as Z0279). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is Z02.79 (Encounter for issue of medical certificate) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report encounter for issue of other medical certificate on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does Z02.79 group to?

On inpatient claims, encounter for issue of other medical certificate maps to MS-DRG 951 (other Factors Influencing Health Status), which carries a relative weight of 0.5574. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can Z02.79 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because encounter for issue of other medical certificate describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

Is Z02.79 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 encounter for issue of other medical certificate on inpatient claims. The code appears in the Persons encountering health services for examinations (Z00-Z13) range of the CMS exempt list.