Mild Cognitive Impairment ICD-10-CM Codes
Read this short guide to learn about Mild Cognitive Impairment ICD codes you can use.
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What Mild Cognitive Impairment ICD codes can I use?
If you’re looking for Mild Cognitive Impairment ICD codes to use, there are only two that are meant for it.
The first is G31.84 - Mild cognitive impairment of uncertain or unknown etiology. This ICD-10 code is meant to be used on patients confirmed to have mild cognitive impairment, but the cause of the impairment is not clear or unknown. This is the only ICD-10 code that mentions Mild Cognitive Impairment in its name. If you identify the cause of the impairment, you’ll have to use a more specific code, preferably one specific to the cause.
The second one is R41.89 - Other symptoms and signs involving cognitive functions and awareness. This ICD-10 code is not valid as a principal diagnosis because it only represents symptoms of an underlying condition related to mental processes. So, if you have identified the cause of your patient’s Mild Cognitive Impairment, you can use this ICD-10 code to support the primary diagnosis.
Are these Mild Cognitive Impairment ICD codes billable?
Yes. Both of these Mild Cognitive Impairment-related ICD-10 codes are valid and billable.
Clinical Information
Mild Cognitive Impairment (sometimes referred to as MCI for short) is the term that healthcare professionals use when describing the slight decline of a patient’s cognitive functioning. While the decline is subtle, it is noticeable.
This decline affects the following:
- Memory
- The ability to plan
- The ability to accomplish tasks
- The ability to correctly reason
- The ability to make carefully thought-out decisions
This decline can impact a person’s daily life and routine, but not severely. It’s more like forgetting something you just discussed with someone or a plan you’ve made for a specific time or day. This doesn’t mean that a person with MCI can’t function. They still can because the decline is mild and can still be treated.
Synonyms Include:
- MCI
- Amnestic mild cognitive disorder
- Mild neurocognitive disorder
- Neurocognitive disorder
- Minimal cognitive impairment
- Very mild cognitive decline
- Mild cognitive decline
Commonly asked questions
A lot of things can cause Mild Cognitive Impairment.
From a mental health standpoint, anxiety, depression, and stress can cause it.
From a physical health standpoint, conditions such as sleep disorders, neurological problems like traumatic brain injuries and brain tumors, urinary tract infections, substance or alcohol use disorder, and using certain medications can cause it.
We experience mental decline as we age, but that’s different from Mild Cognitive Impairment. Even if we experience mental decline as we age, if it’s not caused by an underlying condition or a neurological disorder, we still retain our ability to recognize things and maintain our intelligence, and our long-term memory should be intact. Sure, we might forget some names or misplace things here and there, but that’s normal.
Having Mild Cognitive Impairment due to an underlying condition will impact us (but again, not severely) because it interferes with our capability to remember things we should remember without problem, like conversations we just had minutes ago, something read a few minutes ago, or plans we made.
Not necessarily. It depends on what the Mild Cognitive Impairment is a symptom of. Most people should return to their normal cognition appropriate for their age after being treated or after a short while. Mild Cognitive Impairment can worsen over time and develop into Dementia if it is a symptom of a neurological problem.
