Loading...

    Explore
    • Policy Monitoring
    • Live Policy Feed
    • Billing Codes
    • NPI Medicare & Medicaid
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Health Insurance Payers
    • States
    • Service Lines
    • Taxonomy Codes
    Lookup tools
    • Billing Code Lookup
    • CPT Modifier Lookup
    • Provider Taxonomy Code Lookup
    • Healthcare Provider & Facility Lookup
    • Health Insurance Payer Lookup
    • Payer Contact Directory

    Policy & Benchmark Tools

    • Prior Authorization Lookup
    • Coverage Criteria Lookup
    • Timely Filing Lookup
    • Billing Code Reimbursement Rates
    • Payer Comparison Dashboard
    • Facility Comparison Dashboard
    • All tools

    Company

    • About OpenPayer
    • Data Sources
    • Trek Health
    OpenPayerby Trek Health
    LinkedInYouTube

    © 2026 Trek Health. All rights reserved.

    OpenPayer is built and maintained by Trek Health.

    v1.0.28
    OpenPayerBilling CodesMalignant neoplasms of digestive organsICD-10-CM c15-malignant-neoplasm-of-esophagus
    Ask Trek AI about this page

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Esophagus: Group Overview

    The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group C15 includes malignant neoplasms of the esophagus, covering primary cancers at specific esophageal locations such as cervical, thoracic, and abdominal segments and overlapping lesions. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document clinical scenarios including tumor location, extent, and related complications such as dysphagia, invasion of adjacent structures, or metastatic spread, capturing disease severity and organ involvement. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM C15 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

    Customize your policy alerts

    Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Esophagus: Group Overview policy alerts

    Get alerted when relevant policies change without checking for updates manually.

    Monitor payer policy activity

    Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

    ICD-10-CM C15: Malignant Neoplasm Of Esophagus Overview

    The diagnoses in this group represent primary malignant tumors originating in the esophagus, including location-specific sites such as the cervical, thoracic, and abdominal esophagus. They target the digestive system and reflect cancerous processes that can affect swallowing, nutrition, and local invasion. Accurate coding matters for appropriate case documentation and impacts reimbursement and care coordination.

    Table of contents

    Progress1 / 5

    Explore openpayer tools

    • Billing CodesCPT, HCPCS, DRG & more
    • Reimbursement RatesCommercial vs. Medicare rate reports
    • ProvidersHospitals & facilities
    • PayersPlans & market footprint
    • Taxonomy CodesNUCC specialty codes
    • ModifiersCPT modifiers & usage
    • Prior AuthorizationPA policies by payer & drug
    • Timely FilingFiling deadlines by payer
    • Coverage CriteriaMedical necessity by payer
    • Payer ContactsClaims, PA & appeals contacts
    View all tools

    When to Use

    Select a code from this group when a patient has a confirmed diagnosis of primary esophageal cancer documented by clinical assessment, imaging, endoscopy, or pathology. Use the most specific code available to reflect the exact esophageal site and any documented complications or spread.

    ICD-10-CM Codes

    5 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    C15.3Malignant neoplasm of upper third of esophagus
    C15.4Malignant neoplasm of middle third of esophagus
    C15.5Malignant neoplasm of lower third of esophagus
    C15.8Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of esophagus
    C15.9Malignant neoplasm of esophagus, unspecified

    DRG Codes

    3 rows

    DRG CodeDescription
    374Digestive Malignancy with MCC
    375Digestive Malignancy with CC
    376Digestive Malignancy without CC/MCC

    Related Codes

    C16-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-STOMACH

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Stomach: Group Overview

    C17-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-SMALL-INTESTINE

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Small Intestine: Group Overview

    C18-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-COLON

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Colon: Group Overview

    C19-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-RECTOSIGMOID-JUNCTION

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Rectosigmoid Junction: Group Overview

    C20-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-RECTUM

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Rectum: Group Overview

    C21-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-ANUS-AND-ANAL-CANAL

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Anus And Anal Canal: Group Overview

    C22-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-LIVER

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Liver And Intrahepatic Bile Ducts: Group Overview

    C23-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OF-GALLBLADDER

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Gallbladder: Group Overview

    C24-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-BILIARY-TRACT

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Other And Unspecified Parts Of Biliary Tract: Group Overview

    C26-MALIGNANT-NEOPLASM-OTHER-ILL-DEFINED-DIGESTIVE-ORGANS

    ICD-10-CM Code For Malignant Neoplasm Of Other And Ill-Defined Digestive Organs: Group Overview

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
    Published by

    Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

    Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.