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ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

M54.50Low back pain, unspecified

✓ Billable / specific

M54.50 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for low back pain, unspecified. It can be reported on claims for dates of service from October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027.

Source: official FY2027 ICD-10-CM release from CDC/NCHS and CMS, effective October 1, 2026. Updated September 29, 2026. About our data

About M54.50

M54.50 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for low back pain, unspecified. It belongs to category M54 (dorsalgia), 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 M54.5, choose M54.50 (unspecified) only when documentation doesn't support a more specific option: Vertebrogenic low back pain (M54.51) and other low back pain (M54.59).

It is not a CC or MCC, so as a secondary diagnosis it doesn't change the MS-DRG severity level.

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 was added in FY2022, effective October 1, 2021.

Coding notes

Applicable toConditions and synonyms classified to this code
  • Loin pain
  • Lumbago NOS

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to M54.50.

› From M54.5 Low back pain
Excludes1
  • intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only (M51.360)
  • intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain only (M51.370)
  • low back strain (S39.012)
  • lumbago due to intervertebral disc displacement (M51.2-)
  • lumbago with sciatica (M54.4-)
› From M54 Dorsalgia
Excludes1
  • psychogenic dorsalgia (F45.41)

Broader instructions also apply from M50-M54 Other dorsopathies and Chapter 13: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.

Alphabetic index entries

7 entries

Terms in the official ICD-10-CM index that lead to M54.50.

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.

MDC 08 · Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue

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
  • FY2022 (effective 10/1/2021): Added
  • No changes since FY2022.

Common questions about M54.50

Is M54.50 billable?

Yes. M54.50 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code valid for FY2027 (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

Can M54.50 be used as a principal diagnosis?

Yes. The Medicare Code Editor doesn't restrict M54.50 as a principal diagnosis.

Is M54.50 a CC or MCC?

No. M54.50 is neither a CC nor an MCC under MS-DRG v44.0.

What DRG does M54.50 group to?

M54.50 is used in the MS-DRG v44.0 logic for MS-DRG 551 (Medical Back Problems with MCC) and MS-DRG 552 (Medical Back Problems without MCC). Which one applies depends on whether it is the principal diagnosis and on the rest of the claim.