Navigating the complexities of medical diagnosis coding is crucial, especially when dealing with mental health conditions. The Diagnosis Code For Major Depressive Disorder Recurrent Moderate is specifically identified within the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) as F33.1. This code is not just a label; it’s a vital tool for healthcare professionals, insurance providers, and researchers to accurately classify and understand patient conditions for effective treatment, reimbursement, and statistical analysis.
Understanding ICD-10-CM Code F33.1
Code F33.1 is designated as a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code. This means it is precise enough to be used for reimbursement purposes in healthcare claims. The specificity of this code is essential because it distinguishes between different types and severities of depressive disorders. Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Moderate signifies a condition characterized by multiple episodes of major depression, with the current episode being of moderate severity.
The 2025 edition of ICD-10-CM F33.1 is currently effective as of October 1, 2024. It’s important for healthcare providers and coding specialists to stay updated with these annual revisions to ensure accurate coding and billing practices. This code is part of the American ICD-10-CM version, and it’s worth noting that international versions of ICD-10 may have variations in coding details.
Annotations and Clinical Context
Within the ICD-10-CM system, codes like F33.1 are often accompanied by annotations that provide further clinical context and coding guidelines. These annotation back-references are linked to codes that contain various notes, such as:
- Applicable To: Conditions or terms included under F33.1.
- Code Also: Additional codes that may be necessary to fully describe the clinical picture.
- Code First: Underlying condition that should be coded first.
- Excludes1: Conditions that should not be coded with F33.1.
- Excludes2: Conditions that are not part of F33.1 but may coexist.
- Includes: Specific conditions encompassed by F33.1.
- Note: Additional instructions or clarifications.
- Use Additional: Requirement to use an additional code to provide more detail.
These annotations are critical for ensuring accurate and comprehensive coding, reflecting the complexity of diagnosing and classifying mental health disorders.
Synonyms for F33.1
To aid in understanding and searching for this code, several approximate synonyms are used in clinical practice and documentation. These include:
- Depression, major, recurrent, moderate
- Major depression, recurrent, moderate
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, moderate with anxious stress
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, moderate with catatonia
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, moderate with mixed features
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, moderate with peripartum onset
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, moderate with seasonal pattern
- Moderate recurrent major depression
- Recurrent moderate major depressive disorder co-occurrent with anxiety
- Recurrent moderate major depressive disorder co-occurrent with catatonia
- Recurrent moderate major depressive disorder, peripartum onset
- Recurrent moderate mixed major depressive disorder
- Recurrent seasonal moderate major depressive disorder
These synonyms illustrate the various clinical presentations and specifiers that can be associated with recurrent moderate major depressive disorder, helping healthcare providers to select the most appropriate code.
Code History and Stability
The ICD-10-CM code F33.1 has been in use since 2016 (effective October 1, 2015), marking the first year of the non-draft ICD-10-CM implementation. Notably, from 2017 through 2025, there have been no changes to the F33.1 code. This stability indicates a consistent and well-established classification within the diagnostic coding system, providing continuity for data collection and analysis over the years.
F33.1 in the Context of ICD-10-CM Codes
Understanding where F33.1 fits within the broader ICD-10-CM code set is essential. It is located within the F33 category, which encompasses Major depressive disorder, recurrent. Codes adjacent to F33.1 provide a spectrum of depressive disorders, including:
- F33.0: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild
- F33.2: Major depressive disorder, recurrent severe without psychotic features
- F33.3: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms
- F33.4: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission
- F32.x series: Codes for Major depressive disorder, single episode, with varying degrees of severity and remission.
This placement highlights the recurrent nature and moderate severity as defining characteristics of F33.1, differentiating it from single episodes or different severity levels of recurrent depression.
In conclusion, ICD-10-CM diagnosis code F33.1 is a critical tool for accurately classifying and coding major depressive disorder recurrent moderate. Its specificity, billable status, and consistent application since 2016 underscore its importance in healthcare administration, clinical practice, and mental health research. Healthcare professionals and coding experts must maintain a thorough understanding of F33.1 and its related annotations and synonyms to ensure precise and effective utilization of the ICD-10-CM coding system.
