F81.9 — Developmental disorder of scholastic skills, unspecified
Is F81.9 billable?
Yes, but F81.9 is an unspecified code. F81.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, F81.9 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 F81.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
F81.9 at a glance
| Code | F81.9 |
|---|---|
| Description | Developmental disorder of scholastic skills, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
What Medicare edits apply to F81.9?
The Medicare Code Editor screens inpatient claims before they are grouped. These edits name F81.9 directly.
CMS will reject this code as the principal diagnosis on an inpatient claim. It describes something other than the condition chiefly responsible for the admission.
Which MS-DRGs does F81.9 group to?
F81.9 sits in MDC 19 and helps define the logic of 1 MS-DRG (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 886Behavioral and Developmental Disordersmedical
How is F81.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to F81.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Learning defect (specific)
- Disability, disabilities › knowledge acquisition
- Disability, disabilities › learning
- Disorder › learning (of)
- Problem › learning (with) (related to)
- Delay, delayed › development › intellectual
- Delay, delayed › development › learning
- Development › delayed › learning skill
- Disorder › developmental › learning (of)
- Disorder › psychogenic NOS › learning (of)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to F81.9.
- Knowledge acquisition disability NOS
- Learning disability NOS
- Learning disorder NOS
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 5
The conditions below are not part of F81.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, F81.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)
How long has F81.9 existed?
F81.9 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.