Fact · Accessibility and health
When a condition is bilateral and no bilateral code exists, the official guidelines say to assign separate codes for the left and the right side.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“If no bilateral code is provided and the condition is bilateral, assign separate codes for both the left and right side.”
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2027, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CMS and CDC NCHS), 2026, Section I.B.13, Laterality.
Open the original- What it measures
- This rule governs conditions that have only left and right codes. Carpal tunnel syndrome has a bilateral code, G56.03, so this rule does not apply to it.
- What it does not show
- Stated in the FY 2027 guidelines. Coders apply it to what the medical record documents.