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Dx

ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

W56.5Contact with other fish

Not billable — use a more specific codeRequires 7th character

W56.5 is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself. Choose one of the 3 more specific codes beneath it and add the required 7th character.

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 W56.5

W56.5 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for contact with other fish. It belongs to category W56 (contact with nonvenomous marine animal), block W50-W64 (exposure to animate mechanical forces) and chapter 20 (external causes of morbidity). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 3 subcodes must be used instead.

Within W56, choose W56.5 (other fish) only when documentation doesn't support a more specific option: dolphin (W56.0), sea lion (W56.1), orca (W56.2), other marine mammals (W56.3), shark (W56.4) and other nonvenomous marine animals (W56.8).

Codes in this range require a 7th character: A for initial encounter, D for subsequent encounter and S for sequela. Use placeholder "X" characters to fill any empty positions before the 7th character.

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

7th character

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W56

  • Ainitial encounter
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to W56.5.

› From W56 Contact with nonvenomous marine animal
Excludes1
  • contact with venomous marine animal (T63.-)

Broader instructions also apply from W50-W64 Exposure to animate mechanical forces and Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity.

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 W56.5

Is W56.5 billable?

No. W56.5 is a header code. Report one of its more specific subcodes instead.