D51.9 — Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, unspecified
Is D51.9 billable?
Yes, but D51.9 is an unspecified code. D51.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, D51.9 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting D51.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
More specific alternatives
D51.9 at a glance
| Code | D51.9 |
|---|---|
| Description | Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does D51.9 group to?
D51.9 sits in MDC 16 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 811Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCCmedical
- 812Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCCmedical
How is D51.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to D51.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Anemia › deficiency › vitamin B12 NOS (essential) (general) (hemoglobin deficiency) (infantile) (primary) (profound)
- Degeneration, degenerative › combined › in › vitamin B12 deficiency › anemia
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 3
The conditions below are not part of D51.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, D51.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- autoimmune disease (systemic) NOS (M35.9)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease (B20)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from D51
The conditions below are not part of D51.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, D51.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- deficiency of other B group vitamins (E53-)
How long has D51.9 existed?
D51.9 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.