K29.70: Gastritis, unspecified, without bleeding

The ICD-10-CM code for gastritis when the record names no type of gastritis and documents no bleeding.

Billable

FY2027

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At a glance

Code Family

K29: Gastritis and duodenitis.

DRG Grouping

MS-DRG 391 or 392 under the FY2027 MS-DRG v44 grouper, depending on the presence of an MCC.

HCC Mapping (v28)

No mapping. No code in category K29 maps to a condition category in the CMS-HCC v28 model.

Condition

Gastritis

Family Specificity

Eighteen billable codes on two axes, the type of inflammation and the bleeding status, with K29.70 the residual code on both.

Billable

Yes. K29.70 is valid at five characters, and neither K29 nor K29.7 is billable.

Which K29 code do I assign?

Category K29 splits on two axes. The first axis is the type of inflammation and the site, and the second is the fifth character, where 0 means without bleeding and 1 means with bleeding.

When documentation says…

Code

Gastritis, with no type and no bleeding stated

K29.70

Gastritis, unspecified, without bleeding. The Alphabetic Index main term gastritis (simple) points here. It is correct only while the record names no type, because an endoscopy or pathology report that characterizes the gastritis steps the code up.

Acute gastritis, acute erosive gastritis

K29.00

Acute gastritis without bleeding. The provider must state the acuity. Subcategory K29.0 carries an Excludes1 note for erosion (acute) of stomach (K25.-), and a gastric erosion documented as an ulcer goes to the K25 codes instead.

Chronic gastritis, chronic antral gastritis, chronic fundal gastritis

K29.50

Unspecified chronic gastritis without bleeding. Chronic antral gastritis and chronic fundal gastritis are the inclusion terms at K29.5. A report reading chronic superficial gastritis takes K29.30 instead.

Chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric atrophy

K29.40

Chronic atrophic gastritis without bleeding. Gastric atrophy is the inclusion term at K29.4. Histology showing loss of gastric glands supports this code. Gastric intestinal metaplasia documented alongside it is coded separately, and the Index sends Metaplasia, gastric intestinal to K31.A0, with subterms for dysplasia.

Alcoholic gastritis

K29.20

Alcoholic gastritis without bleeding. The provider must link the gastritis to alcohol. Subcategory K29.2 carries a Use additional code instruction for alcohol abuse and dependence (the F10 codes).

Granulomatous gastritis, Ménétrier's disease

K29.60

Other gastritis without bleeding, the residual code for a named type with no code of its own. Giant hypertrophic gastritis, granulomatous gastritis and Ménétrier's disease are the inclusion terms at K29.6. Duodenitis alone takes K29.80, and gastroduodenitis takes K29.90.

Gastritis with bleeding, upper GI bleed from gastritis

K29.71

Gastritis, unspecified, with bleeding. The fifth character changes to 1 wherever the gastritis itself is documented as bleeding. The same rule applies across the family, giving K29.01, K29.21, K29.31, K29.41, K29.51, K29.61, K29.81 and K29.91.

Tabular notes

EXCLUDES1

Category K29 carries two Excludes1 entries: eosinophilic gastritis or gastroenteritis (K52.81), and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (E16.4). Excludes1 means the two conditions are not reported together for the same condition. A biopsy reporting eosinophilic infiltration of the gastric mucosa moves the encounter to K52.81 rather than K29.70. A third Excludes1 entry, erosion (acute) of stomach (K25.-), sits at subcategory K29.0 only. It does not reach K29.70. The reciprocal note at K25 excludes acute gastritis (K29.0-) and peptic ulcer NOS (K27.-), naming K29.0 and not K29.7. K29.70 and a gastric ulcer code may appear on the same claim when both are separately documented.

EXCLUDES2

Block K20-K31 carries an Excludes2 note for hiatus hernia (the K44 codes). Excludes2 means the patient may have both conditions. A hiatus hernia documented alongside gastritis takes both codes. Chapter 11 adds chapter-level Excludes2 notes, among them neoplasms (C00-D49) and symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94).

USE ADDITIONAL

Category K29 carries no Use additional code instruction. The instruction appears one level down, at K29.0 for acute gastritis and at K29.2 for alcoholic gastritis, each directing a code for alcohol abuse and dependence (the F10 codes). Subcategory K29.7 carries none. A documented Helicobacter pylori infection is still reported additionally with B96.81, Helicobacter pylori as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere. The authority is the block note printed at B95-B97: these categories are provided for use as supplementary or additional codes to identify the infectious agent in diseases classified elsewhere. Section I.C.1.b of the FY2027 Official Guidelines carries the same rule, directing an additional code from B95, B96 or B97 where the condition code does not name the organism. Sequence K29.70 first and B96.81 second.

CODE FIRST

Category K29 carries no Code first note. The reciprocal instruction sits at block T36-T50, whose Code first list names aspirin gastritis (K29.-) among the adverse effects to be coded before the drug. Where the record attributes the gastritis to aspirin or another NSAID taken as prescribed, K29.70 is sequenced first. The drug code follows, T39.015- for aspirin or T39.395- for other NSAIDs, each requiring a seventh character for the encounter type. The block note at T36-T50 states that the drug giving rise to the adverse effect is identified by a code from T36-T50 with a fifth or sixth character of 5.

FY2027: EFFECTIVE 1 OCTOBER 2026

K29.70 is valid in the FY2026 code set and unchanged in the FY2027 update. The FY2026 release, effective 1 October 2025, added no code to K29 and revised no tabular note at K29. The FY2027 codes and tabular addenda make no addition, deletion or revision in category K29.

Operational & financial impact

Why specificity matters beyond the chart: risk adjustment, DRG assignment and denial exposure all follow from which code is selected.

CMS-HCC v28 (PY2024+)

K29.70 maps to no condition category in the CMS-HCC v28 model.

Neither does any sibling. All eighteen billable codes in category K29 return no mapping against the v28 model software crosswalk. The bleeding axis and the type axis carry no risk adjustment consequence.

A companion code can carry one. F10.20, alcohol dependence, uncomplicated, maps to HCC 139, Alcohol Use Disorder, Moderate/Severe, or Alcohol Use with Specified Non-Psychotic Complications. F10.10, alcohol abuse, uncomplicated, maps to none.

MS-DRG v44 (FY2027)

K29.70 as principal diagnosis groups to MS-DRG 391, esophagitis, gastroenteritis and miscellaneous digestive disorders with MCC, or to MS-DRG 392, the same base DRG without MCC.

K29.71 as principal diagnosis groups instead to the gastrointestinal hemorrhage set: MS-DRG 377 with MCC, MS-DRG 378 with CC, and MS-DRG 379 without CC/MCC.

The fifth character therefore moves the encounter between two base DRGs. Both sit under MDC 06, diseases and disorders of the digestive system.

Medicare and commercial payers

There is no National Coverage Determination specific to gastritis diagnosis coding.

These coding rules apply to Medicare Fee-for-Service and to Medicare Advantage plans using CMS-HCC v28 for payment year 2026.

WHERE SPECIFICITY IS LOST

K29.70 is the residual code on both axes. It names no type of gastritis, and it states only that bleeding is absent.

An endoscopy impression reading chronic antral gastritis supports K29.50. A pathology report reading chronic atrophic gastritis supports K29.40, and one reading chronic superficial gastritis supports K29.30.

Where the note records that the gastritis is bleeding, K29.71 applies and the base DRG changes from the miscellaneous digestive group to the gastrointestinal hemorrhage group.

Reporting K29.70 and omitting B96.81 when Helicobacter pylori is documented leaves the organism off the claim.

Documentation checklist to support K29.70

Chart elements that support code selection and reduce specificity-driven denials.

A provider diagnosis of gastritis, stated in the progress note, the endoscopy report or the pathology report.

An explicit bleeding status. Documentation that the gastritis is not bleeding, or silence on bleeding, supports K29.70, and documented bleeding moves the code to K29.71.

The type of gastritis where the record supports one: acute, alcoholic, chronic superficial, chronic atrophic, unspecified chronic, or another named type.

The endoscopy report and the gastric biopsy histology, which carry the type, the site and the chronicity that step K29.70 up to a specified sibling.

Helicobacter pylori status with the test named, whether urea breath test, stool antigen, or gastric biopsy histology or culture. A positive result supports B96.81 as an additional code.

Alcohol use and any diagnosed alcohol use disorder, which supports a code from F10.- alongside K29.0 or K29.2 and, for F10.20, maps to HCC 139.

Current aspirin or NSAID use, and whether the provider attributes the gastritis to it, which opens the T39.015- and T39.395- adverse-effect pathway.

For outpatient encounters, a confirmed diagnosis only. Probable or suspected gastritis is not coded in the outpatient setting. An uncertain diagnosis documented at discharge may be coded as confirmed on the inpatient side.

FAQ

Is K29.70 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. K29.70 is valid and billable at five characters under FY2027, effective 1 October 2026. The three-character category K29 and the four-character subcategory K29.7 are not billable, because the fifth character carrying the bleeding status is required.

What is the difference between K29.70 and K29.71?

The fifth character is the bleeding axis. K29.70 is gastritis, unspecified, without bleeding. K29.71 is gastritis, unspecified, with bleeding. The same convention runs across category K29: a final 0 means without bleeding and a final 1 means with bleeding.

How do I code gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori?

Report the gastritis code for the type documented, then B96.81 as an additional code for the organism. Where no type is stated and there is no bleeding, that pairing is K29.70 followed by B96.81. There is no combination code for H. pylori gastritis, and B96.81 is never sequenced first.

Does K29.70 map to an HCC?

No. K29.70 carries no condition category in the CMS-HCC v28 model, and neither does any other code in category K29. A companion diagnosis can carry one. F10.20, alcohol dependence, uncomplicated, maps to HCC 139 in the v28 model.

When should I step up from K29.70 to a more specific K29 code?

Step up from K29.70 whenever the progress note, the endoscopy report or the pathology report names the type. Chronic superficial gastritis takes K29.30. Chronic atrophic gastritis or gastric atrophy takes K29.40. Chronic antral or chronic fundal gastritis takes K29.50. Acute gastritis takes K29.00. Alcoholic gastritis takes K29.20.

How does K29.70 differ from GERD, gastric ulcer and functional dyspepsia?

K21.9 is gastro-esophageal reflux disease without esophagitis, an esophageal diagnosis rather than a gastric one. K25 covers gastric ulcer, a mucosal break rather than inflammation, and K27 covers peptic ulcer NOS. K30 is functional dyspepsia, symptoms with no structural or inflammatory finding. Epigastric pain with no gastritis diagnosis is R10.13.

Does K29.70 behave differently on an inpatient claim?

Yes, it differs in two ways. As a principal diagnosis K29.70 groups to MS-DRG 391 or 392, while K29.71 groups instead to MS-DRG 377, 378 or 379 for gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Inpatient guidelines also allow a diagnosis documented as probable or suspected at discharge to be coded as confirmed, which outpatient guidelines do not.

Did anything change for K29.70 in FY2027?

K29.70 is unchanged in the FY2027 update. The FY2026 release, effective 1 October 2025, added no code to K29 and revised no tabular note at K29. The FY2027 codes and tabular addenda, effective 1 October 2026, make no addition, deletion or revision in category K29 either.

Related codes

Codes in the same family as K29.70. Only codes with a published page render as links.

Sibling codes in the K29 family

K29.00: Acute gastritis without bleeding.
K29.01: Acute gastritis with bleeding.
K29.20: Alcoholic gastritis without bleeding.
K29.21: Alcoholic gastritis with bleeding.
K29.30: Chronic superficial gastritis without bleeding.
K29.31: Chronic superficial gastritis with bleeding.
K29.40: Chronic atrophic gastritis without bleeding.
K29.41: Chronic atrophic gastritis with bleeding.
K29.50: Unspecified chronic gastritis without bleeding.
K29.51: Unspecified chronic gastritis with bleeding.
K29.60: Other gastritis without bleeding.
K29.61: Other gastritis with bleeding.
K29.71: Gastritis, unspecified, with bleeding.
K29.80: Duodenitis without bleeding.
K29.81: Duodenitis with bleeding.
K29.90: Gastroduodenitis, unspecified, without bleeding.
K29.91: Gastroduodenitis, unspecified, with bleeding.

Additional codes to consider

Codes outside the K29 family considered alongside K29.70.

Companion: code alongside when documented

B96.81: Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere, sequenced after the gastritis code.
F10-: Alcohol related disorders, the target of the Use additional code instruction at K29.0 and K29.2.
T39.015-: Adverse effect of aspirin, requiring a seventh character, where aspirin gastritis is documented.
T39.395-: Adverse effect of other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAID], requiring a seventh character.

Consider instead

K21.9: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease without esophagitis, where the documented diagnosis is reflux rather than gastritis.
K25.9: Gastric ulcer, unspecified as acute or chronic, without hemorrhage or perforation.
K27.9: Peptic ulcer, site unspecified, unspecified as acute or chronic, without hemorrhage or perforation.
K30: Functional dyspepsia, where symptoms are documented with no structural or inflammatory finding.
R10.13: Epigastric pain, where no gastritis diagnosis is stated.
K52.81: Eosinophilic gastritis or gastroenteritis, named in the K29 Excludes1.
E16.4: Increased secretion of gastrin, which carries Zollinger-Ellison syndrome as an inclusion term and is named in the K29 Excludes1.
K31.9: Disease of stomach and duodenum, unspecified, where the Index sends unqualified gastropathy.
K31.89: Other diseases of stomach and duodenum, where the Index sends portal hypertensive gastropathy.
K92.2: Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, unspecified, which carries an Excludes1 for gastritis and duodenitis with hemorrhage.

Sources

All claims on this page derive from government and professional-standards sources.

National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). International classification of diseases, tenth revision, clinical modification (ICD-10-CM) FY2027 files. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd-10-cm/files.html
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). ICD-10-CM official guidelines for coding and reporting FY2027. https://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/ICD10CM/2027/ICD-10-CM-October-1-2026-FY27-Guidelines.pdf
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). 2026 model software/ICD-10 mappings. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/medicare-advantage-rates-statistics/risk-adjustment/2026-model-software-icd-10-mappings
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). MS-DRG classifications and software, version 44. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/acute-inpatient-pps/ms-drg-classifications-and-software