M50.020Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, mid-cervical region, unspecified level

M50.020 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, mid-cervical region, unspecified level. It belongs to category M50 (cervical disc disorders), block M50-M54 (other dorsopathies) and chapter 13 (diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within M50.02, choose M50.020 (unspecified level) only when documentation doesn't support a more specific option: at C4-C5 level with myelopathy (M50.021), at C5-C6 level with myelopathy (M50.022) and at C6-C7 level with myelopathy (M50.023).

As a secondary diagnosis it is a CC (complication or comorbidity), which can move an inpatient stay into the "with CC" 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 551 (Medical Back Problems with MCC, relative weight 1.6358) and DRG 552 (Medical Back Problems without MCC, relative weight 0.9584), in MDC 08 (Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue), 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 is an unspecified code for which a more specific option (often laterality) exists, and the Medicare Code Editor flags it for review on inpatient claims.

It was added in FY2017, effective October 1, 2016.

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 722.71 (intervertebral disc disorder with myelopathy, cervical region).