F01.C ICD-10-CM Code: Vascular dementia, severe

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for F01.C in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2026Effective: October 1, 2025

Notes without a marker are published on F01.C itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Coder workflow for F01.C

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code F01.C

1. F01.C is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

   ReviewF01.C0, F01.C1, F01.C2, F01.C3, F01.C4

   See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

Choose the right path

1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath F01.C?
   Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
   No → F01.C cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

   ReviewF01.C0, F01.C1, F01.C2, F01.C3, F01.C4

2. Is the underlying (etiologic) condition the Code First note names documented?
   Yes → Sequence the underlying condition first, then F01.C.
   No → Continue; do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

Consider F01.C. Then confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement

Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).

Severity

Mild, moderate or severe as the provider states it; severity is not inferred from the clinical picture.

The underlying (etiologic) condition

Named in the Code First note; sequenced before this code when documented (Guidelines I.A.13).

Official instructions as workflow

• Code First — sequencing check(1 note)

  Coding workflow: Check whether the underlying or etiologic condition the note names is documented. When it is, sequence it before F01.C. Do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

  See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Don’t confuse F01.C with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of F01.C — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

• F01.5— Specificity relationship (Review)

  Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

  Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

  What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Vascular dementia, unspecified severity” takes F01.5; specificity in the record moves it back here.

  Full comparison: F01.C vs F01.5 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Verify Before Coding

• Not billable as written — a more specific code is required: F01.C0, F01.C11, F01.C18, F01.C2, F01.C3.

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name F01.C or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 2 Excludes1 notes across 2 chapters: F06.7 — Mild neurocognitive disorder due to known physiological condition (via F01.-), G31.84 — Mild cognitive impairment of uncertain or unknown etiology (via F01.-).

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 4 Excludes2 notes: F02 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, F06 — Other mental disorders due to known physiological condition (via F01.-), F63.1 — Pyromania (via F01.-), F63.2 — Kleptomania (via F01.-).

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

Referenced by 1 Code Also instruction: I67.850 — Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (via F01.-).

These codes suggest coding this condition alongside when both are present.

Contextual Map

Every relationship of F01.C in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run F01.C with these 7 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

• F01-F99 — Chapter 5: Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (F01-F99) (F01-F99)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01-F09 — Mental disorders due to known physiological conditions[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

• F06.7 — Mild neurocognitive disorder due to known physiological condition[Excludes1](via F01.-): “dementia (F01.-, F02.-, F03.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• G31.84 — Mild cognitive impairment of uncertain or unknown etiology[Excludes1](via F01.-): “dementia (F01.-, F02.-, F03.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

• F02 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere[Excludes2]: “vascular dementia (F01.5-, F01.A-, F01.B-, F01.C-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F06 — Other mental disorders due to known physiological condition[Excludes2](via F01.-): “dementia as classified in F01-F02”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F63.1 — Pyromania[Excludes2](via F01.-): “mental disorders due to known physiological condition (F01-F09)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F63.2 — Kleptomania[Excludes2](via F01.-): “stealing in mental disorders due to known physiological condition (F01-F09)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Code Also instructions

• I67.850 — Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy[Code Also](via F01.-): “vascular dementia (F01.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (32)

• F01 — Vascular dementia[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.5 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.50 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.51 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity, with behavioral disturbance[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.511 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity, with agitation[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.518 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity, with other behavioral disturbance[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.52 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity, with psychotic disturbance[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F01.53 — Vascular dementia, unspecified severity, with mood disturbance[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• and 24 more

Change history

• FY2023 — Added to the code set[Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2023

Common coding questions

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data

CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2026 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2025 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Claim edits Official source data

CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v43.1 (April 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data

CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder structured relationship

Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears

Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder explanation

Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to F01.C in its code family, with their registry titles.

• F01.B11 — Vascular dementia, moderate, with agitation
• F01.B18 — Vascular dementia, moderate, with other behavioral disturbance
• F01.B2 — Vascular dementia, moderate, with psychotic disturbance
• F01.B3 — Vascular dementia, moderate, with mood disturbance
• F01.B4 — Vascular dementia, moderate, with anxiety
• F01.C0 — Vascular dementia, severe, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety
• F01.C1 — Vascular dementia, severe, with behavioral disturbance
• F01.C11 — Vascular dementia, severe, with agitation
• F01.C18 — Vascular dementia, severe, with other behavioral disturbance
• F01.C2 — Vascular dementia, severe, with psychotic disturbance

View all codes in the F01 family