Hypertension ICD-10-CM Codes
Explore the ICD-10 codes used for hypertension, their meanings, and when to use them for accurate medical billing and patient health tracking.
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What ICD-10 Codes are Used for Hypertension
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a common condition that can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. Healthcare professionals need to code this condition for billing and medical records accurately. Here are some commonly used ICD-10 codes for hypertension:
- I10 - Essential (primary) hypertension: This code is assigned when a patient is diagnosed with high blood pressure without any identifiable cause. It's often linked to contributing factors such as genetics, age, or lifestyle habits like poor diet, lack of exercise, and tobacco use.
- I11 - Hypertensive heart disease: This category is used when a patient has hypertension and heart disease. It indicates that the patient's heart condition is directly related to their high blood pressure. This could encompass a range of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, or left ventricular hypertrophy.
- I12 - Hypertensive chronic kidney disease: This code is applied when a patient's kidney disease is caused or significantly exacerbated by hypertension. Chronic kidney disease associated with hypertension can lead to complications like renal failure if not treated effectively.
- I13 - Hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease: This code is used when a patient suffers from both heart and kidney disease due to hypertension. It signifies a systemic impact of high blood pressure affecting multiple organ systems.
- I15 - Secondary hypertension: This code is used when a patient's high blood pressure results from another underlying medical condition. This could include hormonal disorders, kidney disease, certain medications, or congenital heart defects.
- I67.4 - Hypertensive encephalopathy: This code is used when a patient exhibits altered mental status, including confusion, seizures, and coma, due to high blood pressure. It is a serious condition that requires immediate medical intervention.
Remember, using the correct ICD-10 code to ensure accurate billing and tracking of patient health outcomes is important. To better understand how these codes are applied, check out this helpful explainer video below:
Which Hypertension ICD codes are Billable
Healthcare providers use ICD-10 codes to classify and code all diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures recorded in conjunction with hospital care. Here are some commonly used ICD-10 codes for hypertension and whether they are billable:
- I10 - Essential (primary) hypertension: Yes, this code is billable.
- I11 - Hypertensive heart disease: Yes, this code is billable. It includes billable subcodes like I11.0 (Hypertensive heart disease with heart failure) and I11.9 (Hypertensive heart disease without heart failure).
- I12 - Hypertensive chronic kidney disease: Yes, this code is billable. It also includes billable subcodes like I12.0 (Hypertensive chronic kidney disease with stage 5 chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease) and I12.9 (Hypertensive chronic kidney disease with stage 1 through stage 4 chronic kidney disease or unspecified chronic kidney disease).
- I13 - Hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease: Yes, this code is billable. It has billable subcodes like I13.0 (Hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease with heart failure and stage 1 through stage 4 chronic kidney disease, or unspecified chronic kidney disease), I13.1 (Hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease with heart failure and with stage 5 chronic kidney disease, or end-stage renal disease), etc.
- I15 - Secondary hypertension: Yes, this code is billable. It includes billable subcodes like I15.0 (Renovascular hypertension), I15.1 (Other secondary hypertension), and I15.2 (Secondary hypertension, unspecified).
- I67.4 - Hypertensive encephalopathy: Yes, this code is billable.
While these codes are generally billable, it's always important to check with specific insurance providers, as coverage and coding requirements can vary.
Clinical Information
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Here are some key points about this condition:
- Hypertension occurs when the force of the blood against the artery walls is consistently too high. This can damage the blood vessels and lead to health problems.
- There are two types of hypertension: primary (or essential) and secondary. Primary hypertension has no identifiable cause and tends to develop gradually over many years. An underlying condition causes secondary hypertension and usually appears suddenly.
- Hypertension often has no symptoms, even if blood pressure readings are dangerously high. Some people may experience headaches, shortness of breath, or nosebleeds, but these aren't specific and don't occur until hypertension has reached severe or life-threatening stages.
- Risk factors for hypertension include age, race, family history, being overweight or obese, not being physically active, using tobacco, having too much salt in your diet, drinking too much alcohol, stress, certain chronic conditions, and pregnancy.
- Hypertension can lead to serious complications if left untreated, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, metabolic syndrome, and problems with memory or understanding.
- The only way to detect hypertension is to have regular blood pressure readings taken. Most doctors' offices take a blood pressure reading at every appointment.
- Hypertension is typically managed with lifestyle changes and medications. Lifestyle changes can include healthy eating, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, avoiding tobacco, managing stress, and limiting sodium in the diet.
- Medications used to treat hypertension include diuretics, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers, alpha-blockers, alpha-beta blockers, centrally acting agents, and vasodilators.
Remember, regular check-ups are essential for early detection and effective management of hypertension.
Synonyms Include
- High Blood Pressure
- Elevated Blood Pressure
- HTN (abbreviation often used in medical records)
- Arterial Hypertension
- Systemic Hypertension
Commonly asked questions
Hypertension ICD codes are used when a healthcare provider diagnoses a patient with hypertension or high blood pressure. These codes are used for documentation in the patient's medical records, for billing purposes, and to track health statistics.
The treatment for hypertension often involves lifestyle modifications such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and reducing stress. In addition to lifestyle changes, medications may be prescribed to manage high blood pressure. These include diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, etc. The specific treatment plan will depend on the patient's health history and condition.
A diagnosis code for hypertension means that a healthcare provider has diagnosed a patient with high blood pressure. The specific code used provides additional information about the type of hypertension diagnosed. For example, I10 is used for primary (essential) hypertension, while I15 is used for secondary hypertension.
