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ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

Q44.3Congenital stenosis and stricture of bile ducts

✓ Billable / specificPOA exemptMCC — major complication/comorbidity

Q44.3 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for congenital stenosis and stricture of bile ducts. 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 Q44.3

Q44.3 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for congenital stenosis and stricture of bile ducts. It belongs to category Q44 (congenital malformations of gallbladder, bile ducts and liver), block Q38-Q45 (other congenital malformations of the digestive system) and chapter 17 (congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic disorders). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within Q44 (congenital malformations of gallbladder, bile ducts and liver), Q44.3 is specifically for congenital stenosis and stricture of bile ducts. Related codes cover agenesis, aplasia and hypoplasia of gallbladder (Q44.0), other congenital malformations of gallbladder (Q44.1), atresia of bile ducts (Q44.2), Choledochal cyst (Q44.4), other congenital malformations of bile ducts (Q44.5), cystic disease of liver (Q44.6) and other congenital malformations of liver (Q44.7).

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 444 (Disorders of the Biliary Tract with MCC, relative weight 1.6665), DRG 445 (Disorders of the Biliary Tract with CC, relative weight 1.0872) and DRG 446 (Disorders of the Biliary Tract without CC/MCC, relative weight 0.8124), in MDC 07 (Diseases and Disorders of the Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas), 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 exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting, so no POA indicator is required.

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 751.61 (biliary atresia).

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to Q44.3.

Broader instructions also apply from Chapter 17: Congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic disorders.

Alphabetic index entries

4 entries

Terms in the official ICD-10-CM index that lead to Q44.3.

Codes whose notes reference Q44.3

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 →
  • 751.61Biliary atresiaapproximate

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 Q44.3

Is Q44.3 billable?

Yes. Q44.3 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code valid for FY2027 (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

Can Q44.3 be used as a principal diagnosis?

Yes. The Medicare Code Editor doesn't restrict Q44.3 as a principal diagnosis.

Is Q44.3 a CC or MCC?

Q44.3 is an MCC (major complication or comorbidity) under MS-DRG v44.0, unless excluded by the principal diagnosis.

What DRG does Q44.3 group to?

Q44.3 is used in the MS-DRG v44.0 logic for MS-DRG 444 (Disorders of the Biliary Tract with MCC), MS-DRG 445 (Disorders of the Biliary Tract with CC) and MS-DRG 446 (Disorders of the Biliary Tract 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 Q44.3?

The CMS General Equivalence Mappings map Q44.3 to ICD-9-CM 751.61.