ICD-10-CM › V00-Y99 › Y21-Y33 › Y21 Drowning and submersion,... › Y21.9

Y21.9

Unspecified drowning and submersion, undetermined intent

Not billableICD-10-CM diagnosis code.

This code exists but cannot be submitted on its own. It groups the more specific codes beneath it.

A category header for its whole life, FY2016 onwards. It has never been valid for submission on its own.

Submit one of these 3 more specific codes instead:

  • Y21.9XXA Unspecified drowning and submersion, undetermined intent, initial encounter
  • Y21.9XXD Unspecified drowning and submersion, undetermined intent, subsequent encounter
  • Y21.9XXS Unspecified drowning and submersion, undetermined intent, sequela

This code requires a seventh character. See the rule below.

What has happened to this code

Every change the publisher made, from 2014 to now. Entries marked draft are from the pre-implementation releases: ICD-10 took effect on 1 October 2015, so nothing before FY2016 was ever valid on a claim.

  1. FY2014 Added to the draft code set draft Unspecified drowning and submersion, undetermined intent

Official coding rules

Published by CDC for FY2027. A rule attached to a category binds every code beneath it, so the rules inherited from this code's ancestors are shown with the code they come from.

Inherited from Y21 Drowning and submersion, undetermined intent

Seventh character required

  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category Y21

Inherited from the Y21-Y33 section Event of undetermined intent (Y21-Y33)

Also known as

  • Undetermined intent is only for use when there is specific documentation in the record that the intent of the injury cannot be determined. If no such documentation is present, code to accidental (unintentional)

How CDC's index refers to this code

Wording from the official alphabetic index. Much of it appears nowhere in the code description, which is why a search for the everyday phrase so often finds nothing.

Codes in the same group

CodeDescriptionStatus
Y21.0 Drowning and submersion while in bathtub, undetermined intent Not billable
Y21.1 Drowning and submersion after fall into bathtub, undetermined intent Not billable
Y21.2 Drowning and submersion while in swimming pool, undetermined intent Not billable
Y21.3 Drowning and submersion after fall into swimming pool, undetermined intent Not billable
Y21.4 Drowning and submersion in natural water, undetermined intent Not billable
Y21.8 Other drowning and submersion, undetermined intent Not billable