N18.6: End stage renal disease

N18.6, end stage renal disease, is listed as a covered diagnosis in 18 Medicare billing and coding articles that apply to 52 HCPCS Level II codes, including G0299 (Direct skilled nursing services of a registered nurse (rn)…), G0300 (Direct skilled nursing services of a licensed practical…), G0127 (Trimming of dystrophic nails, any number). The articles come from 7 Medicare contractors. A listed diagnosis supports medical necessity only; coverage still depends on the LCD's criteria and on documentation in the medical record.

HCPCS Level II codes with N18.6 as a covered diagnosis

CodeDescriptionMedicare coverageDMEPOS fee 2026 (state range)Articles listing it
G0299Direct skilled nursing services of a registered nurse (rn) in the home health or hospice setting, each 15 minutesCarrier judgment—1
G0300Direct skilled nursing services of a licensed practical nurse (lpn) in the home health or hospice setting, each 15 minutesCarrier judgment—1
G0127Trimming of dystrophic nails, any numberSpecial coverage instructions apply—7
J1559Injection, immune globulin (hizentra), 100 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1555Injection, immune globulin (cuvitru), 100 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1575Injection, immune globulin/hyaluronidase, (hyqvia), 100 mg immuneglobulinCarrier judgment—2
J1558Injection, immune globulin (xembify), 100 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1569Injection, immune globulin, (gammagard liquid/gammagard liquid erc), 500 mgSpecial coverage instructions apply—2
J1561Injection, immune globulin, (gamunex-c/gammaked), non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mgSpecial coverage instructions apply—2
J1551Injection, immune globulin (cutaquig), 100 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1459Injection, immune globulin (privigen), intravenous, non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1576Injection, immune globulin (panzyga), intravenous, non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mgSpecial coverage instructions apply—2
J1557Injection, immune globulin, (gammaplex), intravenous, non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1556Injection, immune globulin (bivigam), 500 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1568Injection, immune globulin, (octagam), intravenous, non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1566Injection, immune globulin, intravenous, lyophilized (e.g., powder), not otherwise specified, 500 mgSpecial coverage instructions apply—2
J1554Injection, immune globulin (asceniv), 500 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1572Injection, immune globulin, (flebogamma/flebogamma dif), intravenous, non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mgSpecial coverage instructions apply—2
J1552Injection, immune globulin (alyglo), 500 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1553Injection, immune globulin (yimmugo), 100 mgCarrier judgment—2
J1577Injection, immune globulin (qivigy), 100 mgCarrier judgment—2
J0881Injection, darbepoetin alfa, 1 microgram (non-esrd use)Special coverage instructions apply—4
J0885Injection, epoetin alfa, (for non-esrd use), 1000 unitsSpecial coverage instructions apply—4
Q5106Injection, epoetin alfa-epbx, biosimilar, (retacrit) (for non-esrd use), 1000 unitsSpecial coverage instructions apply—4
J0882Injection, darbepoetin alfa, 1 microgram (for esrd on dialysis)Special coverage instructions apply—4

27 more codes are listed. See every code with payment by region in Caduvo.

Medicare policy articles listing N18.6

3 more articles list N18.6.

A diagnosis listed as covered in a billing and coding article supports medical necessity for the article's codes; it does not guarantee payment. Coverage depends on the LCD's criteria, the contractor's jurisdiction and documentation in the medical record.

Other N18 diagnoses (Chronic kidney disease (CKD))

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare cover N18.6 (End stage renal disease)?

Medicare covers items and services, not diagnoses. 18 Medicare billing and coding articles list N18.6 as a covered diagnosis for 52 HCPCS Level II codes: the diagnosis can support medical necessity for those codes, but payment still depends on the LCD's coverage criteria and the medical record.

Which HCPCS codes can be billed with ICD-10 N18.6?

The Level II codes from the policies most specific to this diagnosis are G0299 (Direct skilled nursing services of a registered nurse (rn)…, 1 article); G0300 (Direct skilled nursing services of a licensed practical…, 1 article); G0127 (Trimming of dystrophic nails, any number, 7 articles); J1559 (Injection, immune globulin (hizentra), 100 mg, 2 articles); J1555 (Injection, immune globulin (cuvitru), 100 mg, 2 articles). Code choice depends on the item supplied; check each code's descriptor.

Which Medicare policy articles list N18.6?

A56545 (Billing and Coding: Hospice - Renal Care); A56786 (Billing and Coding: Immune Globulin); A57778 (Billing and Coding: Immune Globulin), and 15 more articles.

What is ICD-10-CM code N18.6?

N18.6 is the ICD-10-CM code for end stage renal disease, in category N18 (Chronic kidney disease (CKD)), chapter 14: Diseases of the genitourinary system.

Next steps

Sources: CMS Medicare Coverage Database billing and coding articles (covered ICD-10 code lists and HCPCS links); ICD-10-CM FY2026; CMS HCPCS Level II release October 2026; CMS DMEPOS fee schedule 2026 (non-rural state fees). Not billing or legal advice.

Chapter 14: Diseases of the genitourinary system · All diagnoses · HCPCS lookup