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ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

R15.0Incomplete defecation

✓ Billable / specific

R15.0 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for incomplete defecation. 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 R15.0

R15.0 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for incomplete defecation. It belongs to category R15 (fecal incontinence), block R10-R19 (symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen) and chapter 18 (symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within R15 (fecal incontinence), R15.0 is specifically for incomplete defecation. Related codes cover fecal smearing (R15.1), fecal urgency (R15.2) and full incontinence of feces (R15.9).

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of R15.0, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: constipation (K59.0-) and fecal impaction (K56.41).

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 391 (Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive Disorders with MCC, relative weight 1.2392) and DRG 392 (Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive Disorders without MCC, relative weight 0.7645), in MDC 06 (Diseases and Disorders of the Digestive System), 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 787.61 (incomplete defecation).

Coding notes

Excludes2Not included here — may be reported together if both conditions exist

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to R15.0.

› From R15 Fecal incontinence
Includes
  • encopresis NOS
Excludes1
  • fecal incontinence of nonorganic origin (F98.1)

Broader instructions also apply from R10-R19 Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen and Chapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified.

Alphabetic index entries

1 entries

Terms in the official ICD-10-CM index that lead to R15.0.

Codes whose notes reference R15.0

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 →
  • 787.61Incomplete defecationexact

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 R15.0

Is R15.0 billable?

Yes. R15.0 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code valid for FY2027 (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

Can R15.0 be used as a principal diagnosis?

Yes. The Medicare Code Editor doesn't restrict R15.0 as a principal diagnosis.

Is R15.0 a CC or MCC?

No. R15.0 is neither a CC nor an MCC under MS-DRG v44.0.

What DRG does R15.0 group to?

R15.0 is used in the MS-DRG v44.0 logic for MS-DRG 391 (Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive Disorders with MCC) and MS-DRG 392 (Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive Disorders without 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 R15.0?

The CMS General Equivalence Mappings map R15.0 to ICD-9-CM 787.61.