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ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

A20.3Plague meningitis

✓ Billable / specificMCC — major complication/comorbidity

A20.3 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for plague meningitis. It can be reported on claims for dates of service from October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027.

Code unchanged since ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. Source: official FY2027 ICD-10-CM release from CDC/NCHS and CMS. Page updated September 29, 2026. About our data

About A20.3

A20.3 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for plague meningitis. It belongs to category A20 (plague), block A20-A28 (certain zoonotic bacterial diseases) and chapter 1 (certain infectious and parasitic diseases). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within A20 (plague), A20.3 is specifically for plague meningitis. Related codes cover Bubonic plague (A20.0), Cellulocutaneous plague (A20.1), pneumonic plague (A20.2), Septicemic plague (A20.7), other forms of plague (A20.8) and unspecified (A20.9).

As a secondary diagnosis it is an MCC (major complication or comorbidity), which can move an inpatient stay into the highest-paying "with MCC" MS-DRG of its family, unless the principal diagnosis excludes it.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 867 (Other Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Diagnoses with MCC, relative weight 2.1859), DRG 868 (Other Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Diagnoses with CC, relative weight 1.0235) and DRG 869 (Other Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Diagnoses without CC/MCC, relative weight 0.6787), in MDC 18 (Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 020.8 (other specified types of plague).

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to A20.3.

› From A20 Plague
Includes
  • infection due to Yersinia pestis

Broader instructions also apply from Chapter 1: Certain infectious and parasitic diseases.

Alphabetic index entries

2 entries

Terms in the official ICD-10-CM index that lead to A20.3.

MS-DRG v44.0 grouping

All DRGs →

Inpatient MS-DRGs this diagnosis can group to, as the principal or a secondary diagnosis, depending on the rest of the claim.

ICD-9-CM equivalent

Converter →
  • 020.8Other specified types of plagueapproximate

From the CMS 2018 General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs), the final GEMs release.

Code history

  1. 2016
  2. 2017
  3. 2018
  4. 2019
  5. 2020
  6. 2021
  7. 2022
  8. 2023
  9. 2024
  10. 2025
  11. 2026
  12. 2027
  • FY2016 (effective 10/1/2015): Added (first year of ICD-10-CM)
  • No changes since FY2016.

Common questions about A20.3

Is A20.3 billable?

Yes. A20.3 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code valid for FY2027 (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

Can A20.3 be used as a principal diagnosis?

Yes. The Medicare Code Editor doesn't restrict A20.3 as a principal diagnosis.

Is A20.3 a CC or MCC?

A20.3 is an MCC (major complication or comorbidity) under MS-DRG v44.0, unless excluded by the principal diagnosis.

What DRG does A20.3 group to?

A20.3 is used in the MS-DRG v44.0 logic for MS-DRG 867 (Other Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Diagnoses with MCC), MS-DRG 868 (Other Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Diagnoses with CC) and MS-DRG 869 (Other Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Diagnoses without CC/MCC). Which one applies depends on whether it is the principal diagnosis and on the rest of the claim.

What is the ICD-9 code for A20.3?

The CMS General Equivalence Mappings map A20.3 to ICD-9-CM 020.8.