Outpatient Facility Coding Alert

Question: How should we code dementia in ICD-10?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: Codes for dementia are located in categories F01-F03 in ICD-10-CM. The categories available are:

• F01 – Vascular dementia
• F02 – Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere
• F03 – Unspecified dementia.

Each category for dementia requires providers to specify whether the patient has behavioral disturbances. For example, you have two code choices for vascular dementia: without behavioral disturbance (F01.50) and with behavioral disturbance (F01.51). The ICD-10-CM Manual includes synonymous terms for behavioral disturbances such as aggressive, combative, or violent behavior.

Physicians use many screening tests to determine the cause of dementia, including blood tests, mental status evaluations, and brain scans. Once your physician pinpoints the cause and diagnoses a specific type, you can code the patient’s condition more accurately.

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