ICDcodes.org
FY2027

F32.3 vs R44

F32.3 and R44 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.

The official note, declared on R44
hallucinations in mood disorders with psychotic symptoms (F30.2, F31.5, F32.3, F33.3)
F32.3

Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe with psychotic features

Billable
Chapter 5
Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Section
F30-F39
Use when the record says
  • Single episode of major depression with mood-congruent psychotic symptoms
  • Single episode of major depression with mood-incongruent psychotic symptoms
  • Single episode of major depression with psychotic symptoms
  • Single episode of psychogenic depressive psychosis
  • Single episode of psychotic depression
  • Single episode of reactive depressive psychosis
Indexed under
  • Depression › psychotic (acute) (mental)
  • Melancholia › reactive
  • Depression › major › with psychotic symptoms (acute) (mental)
  • Depression › reactive › psychotic (acute) (mental)
  • Psychosis, psychotic › psychogenic › depressive
R44

Other symptoms and signs involving general sensations and perceptions

Not billable
Chapter 18
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
Section
R40-R46

These two codes sit in different chapters of the Tabular List, which is usually the clearest signal that they describe different underlying processes rather than different degrees of the same one.

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