K21
Header — not billableGastro-esophageal reflux disease
The ICD-10 code for gastro-esophageal reflux disease is K21.
K21 is a non-billable header code. It groups related conditions but cannot be used on its own for reimbursement — select one of the 2 more specific codes below.
Clinical notes
Excludes1 (not coded here)
An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).
- newborn esophageal reflux (P78.83)
Documentation support
General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.
- •This is a non-billable header code. Documentation must support a more specific child code before this diagnosis can be reported on a claim.
- •Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
- •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.
Related codes in this category
- K20Esophagitisnon-billable header
- K22Other diseases of esophagusnon-billable header
- K23Disorders of esophagus in diseases classified elsewhere
- K25Gastric ulcernon-billable header
- K26Duodenal ulcernon-billable header
- K27Peptic ulcer, site unspecifiednon-billable header
- K28Gastrojejunal ulcernon-billable header
- K29Gastritis and duodenitisnon-billable header
- K30Functional dyspepsia
- K31Other diseases of stomach and duodenumnon-billable header
- K21Gastro-esophageal reflux diseasenon-billable header