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F03 ICD-10-CM Code: Unspecified dementia

Compare with another code for F03Check this code on a claim

Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

Official instructions
7 inclusion terms · 2 Excludes2

What these terms mean →

Category · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too, and is marked with where it comes from.

Excludes2Not included here; may be reported together
  • dementia with delirium or acute confusional state (F05)
  • mild memory disturbance due to known physiological condition (F06.8)
IncludesWhat this code covers
  • Major neurocognitive disorder NOS
  • Presenile dementia NOS
  • Presenile psychosis NOS
  • Primary degenerative dementia NOS

+3 more in Instructions

Where it sits Source: CMS/NCHS

Under:Chapter 5: Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental DisordersF01-F09 Mental disorders due to known physiological conditions

Codes under F03 (4)

  • F03.9Unspecified dementia, unspecified severityNot billable
  • F03.AUnspecified dementia, mildNot billable
  • F03.BUnspecified dementia, moderateNot billable
  • F03.CUnspecified dementia, severeNot billable

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for F03 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Inclusion Terms

Alternative terms the tabular list files under this code.

  • Major neurocognitive disorder NOS
  • Presenile dementia NOS
  • Presenile psychosis NOS
  • Primary degenerative dementia NOS
  • Senile dementia NOS
  • Senile dementia depressed or paranoid type
  • Senile psychosis NOS

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Coder workflow for F03

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

Before you code F03

  1. F03 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).

    ReviewF03.9, F03.A, F03.B, F03.C

    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 F03?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → F03 cannot be reported as written. Where the codes beneath it include an unspecified code, that code applies when the record goes no further; otherwise query for the missing detail.

    ReviewF03.9, F03.A, F03.B, F03.C

Report the code beneath F03 that the documentation supports, not F03 itself. Then confirm that code is valid for the date of service on its own page.

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).
Any detail beyond this code’s title
What the record states that a more specific code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes2 — not part of F03(2 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in F03. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareF05, F06.8

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

Coding decision scenarios

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

Documentation: The provider documents the condition in the terms of this code’s title and records no further detail.

Coding question: Is a more specific code supportable?

Path: No sibling in this subcategory is more specific; look the documented detail up in the Alphabetic Index.

Reason: A more specific code needs documentation of the distinguishing element; without it the unspecified code is appropriate, and a provider query is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

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 F03 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of F03 — 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.

  • F05— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of dementia with delirium or acute confusional state adds F05; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: F03 vs F05 →

  • F06.8— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of mild memory disturbance due to known physiological condition adds F06.8; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: F03 vs F06.8 →

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.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Unspecified dementia is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (F03). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Official Coding Guidelines

Official source data — quoted verbatim from the CMS/NCHS Official Guidelines

Verbatim excerpts from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (CMS/NCHS) that govern this code.

Chapter 5: Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01 – F99)

d. Dementia The ICD-10-CM classifies dementia (categories F01, F02, and F03) on the basis of the etiology and severity (unspecified, mild, moderate or severe). Selection of the appropriate severity level requires the provider’s clinical judgment and codes should be assigned only on the basis of provider documentation (as defined in the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting), unless otherwise instructed by the classification. If the documentation does not provide information about the severity of the dementia, assign the appropriate code for unspecified severity.

Verify Before Coding

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-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name F03 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 5 Excludes1 notes across 3 chapters: F06 — Other mental disorders due to known physiological condition, F06.7 — Mild neurocognitive disorder due to known physiological condition, G30 — Alzheimer's disease, G31.84 — Mild cognitive impairment of uncertain or unknown etiology, R54 — Age-related physical debility.

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

Referenced by 2 Excludes2 notes: F63.1 — Pyromania, F63.2 — Kleptomania.

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

Related Codes

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main terms “Psychosis, psychotic”, “State”, “Dementia”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

F02.B18 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, moderate, with other behavioral disturbance (in, diseases specified elsewhere, moderate, with, behavioral disturbances), F02.B2 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, moderate, with psychotic disturbance (in, diseases specified elsewhere, moderate, with, psychotic disturbance), F02.B3 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, moderate, with mood disturbance (in, diseases specified elsewhere, moderate, with, mood disturbance), F02.B4 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, moderate, with anxiety (in, diseases specified elsewhere, moderate, with, anxiety), F02.C0 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, severe, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety (in, diseases specified elsewhere, severe), F02.C11 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, severe, with agitation (in, diseases specified elsewhere, severe, with, agitation), F02.C18 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, severe, with other behavioral disturbance (in, diseases specified elsewhere, severe, with, behavioral disturbances), F02.C2 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, severe, with psychotic disturbance (in, diseases specified elsewhere, severe, with, psychotic disturbance), F02.C3 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, severe, with mood disturbance (in, diseases specified elsewhere, severe, with, mood disturbance), F02.C4 — Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, severe, with anxiety (in, diseases specified elsewhere, severe, with, anxiety), F04 — Amnestic disorder due to known physiological condition (Korsakoff's, Korsakov's, Korsakow's), F05 — Delirium due to known physiological condition (twilight, epileptic), F06.0 — Psychotic disorder with hallucinations due to known physiological condition (organic, hallucinatory), F06.2 — Psychotic disorder with delusions due to known physiological condition (paranoid, organic), F06.31 — Mood disorder due to known physiological condition with depressive features (transient organic psychotic NEC, depressive type), F06.8 — Other specified mental disorders due to known physiological condition (epileptic), F07.0 — Personality change due to known physiological condition (postleukotomy), F09 — Unspecified mental disorder due to known physiological condition (organic), F10.14 — Alcohol abuse with alcohol-induced mood disorder (alcoholic, with, mood disorder, with, abuse), F10.150 — Alcohol abuse with alcohol-induced psychotic disorder with delusions (alcoholic, paranoid type, with, abuse), +195 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of F03 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 F03 with these 9 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Excludes2

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

  • F63.1 — Pyromania[Excludes2]: “mental disorders due to known physiological condition (F01-F09)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • F63.2 — Kleptomania[Excludes2]: “stealing in mental disorders due to known physiological condition (F01-F09)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Index entries (30)

  • Dementia (degenerative (primary)) (persisting) (unspecified severity) (without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), in (due to), multiple, etiologies[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Dementia (degenerative (primary)) (persisting) (unspecified severity) (without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), old age (senile)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Dementia (degenerative (primary)) (persisting) (unspecified severity) (without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), presenile[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Dementia (degenerative (primary)) (persisting) (unspecified severity) (without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), primary degenerative[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Dementia (degenerative (primary)) (persisting) (unspecified severity) (without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), senile[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Dementia (degenerative (primary)) (persisting) (unspecified severity) (without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), senile, depressed or paranoid type[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Depression (acute) (mental), senile[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • Disorder (of), mental (or behavioral) (nonpsychotic), presenile, psychotic[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2027
  • and 22 more

Nearest codes (32)

Change history

  • FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Indexed Clinical Terms (30)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code. These are alphabetic-index entries shown as the Index writes them — lookup phrasing, not necessarily the wording of a final diagnosis.

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can F03 be billed directly?

No. F03 (Unspecified dementia) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

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 FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Coding guidelines Official source data
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (FY2027), quoted by section Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 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-derived 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 editorial 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.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "F03 — Unspecified dementia." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/f03-unspecified-dementia

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Unspecified dementia

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to F03 in its code family, with their registry titles.