Excludes1 pair
F10- vs F10.9-
F10 and F10.9 are not coded together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note — the two conditions are not expected to occur together, so exactly one of them is normally correct for a given encounter. The Official Guidelines carve out one exception: if the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, both may be reported.
The official note, declared on F10.9
alcohol abuse (F10.1-)
F10
Alcohol related disorders
Not billable
- Chapter 5
- Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Section
- F10-F19
F10.9
Alcohol use, unspecified
Not billable
- Chapter 5
- Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Section
- F10-F19
Indexed under
- Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome or psychosis (alcoholic)
- Syndrome › Korsakoff › alcoholic
- Syndrome › Wernicke-Korsakoff › alcoholic
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027