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Hypertension ICD-10-CM Code Reporting Table

Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth
2019-11-25

When high blood pressure occurs without a known cause or in relation to another medical condition (e.g., chronic kidney disease) it is known as essential or primary hypertension. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Over time, the long-term force of blood against artery and vessel walls can cause a variety of health problems. In ICD-10-CM, hypertension code options do not distinguish between malignant and benign or between controlled and uncontrolled as they did in ICD-9-CM. What is important for code selection is knowing if the hypertension is caused by or related to another condition. The following helpful table shows some of these options.

Note: See Section 1;C.9.a of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding & Reporting for further guidance.

Condition(s) Coding Guidance
Essential (primary) I10 if there are no associated causal relationships (e.g., heart disease)
w/ cardiorenal disease I13.-: this combination code includes hypertension, heart disease, and CKD.
  • If there is heart failure, use additional code from category I50.-
  • Do not use with codes from categories I11.- and I12.-.

Note: If there is acute renal failure, add that code.
w/ chronic kidney disease Patient has CKD classifiable with N18.-
  • I12.-: this combination code includes hypertension and CKD
  • N18.- is sequenced first, followed by I12.-
  • if there is also kidney involvement, see cardiorenal.
Note: If there is acute renal failure, add that code
w/ eye involvement Report a code from subcategory H35.0- and a code from I10-I15. Sequence according to the reason for the encounter.
w/ heart disease Patient has heart condition classified with I50.- or I51.4-I51.9
  • hypertension is related: use code from category I11.-
  • hypertension is unrelated: sequence according to reason for the encounter
Note: If there is also kidney involvement, use cardiorenal codes instead.
w/ kidney involvement Hypertensive renal disease NOS or CKD stages 1-4 use code I12.9. Otherwise,see cardiorenal disease codes.

Note: If there is also heart involvement, use cardiorenal codes instead.
w/ pregnancy
  • pre-existing: see O10.- and O11.-
  • pregnancy-induced: see O13.-, O14.-, O16.-
w/ pulmonary involvement
  • pulmonary hypertension: use code from I27.-
  • secondary pulmonary hypertension (I27.1, I27.2-), code also any associated conditions or adverse effects of drugs or toxins
  • sequence according to reason for the encounter, except for adverse effects of drugs (See Section I.C.19.e.)
cerebrovascular disease Code first applicable code from categories I60-I69, then report applicable hypertension code.
hypertensive crisis Blood pressure is 180/120 or greater. Use code from I16.-
  • Code also any identified hypertensive disease (I10-I15)
  • Sequence according to reason for the encounter.
secondary Secondary: Hypertension is due to underlying condition not otherwise classified. Two codes are required: one to identify the underlying etiology and one from category I15- to identify the hypertension. Sequence according to reason for the encounter.