F42 ICD-10-CM Code: Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for F42 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

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

Coder workflow for F42

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

Before you code F42

1. F42 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).

   ReviewF42.2, F42.3, F42.4, F42.8, F42.9

   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 F42?
   Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
   No → F42 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

   ReviewF42.2, F42.3, F42.4, F42.8, F42.9

Consider F42. 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).

Official instructions as workflow

• Excludes2 — not part of F42(3 notes)

  Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in F42. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

  CompareF60.5, F32, F33, F20

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

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 F42 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of F42 — 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.

• F60.5— 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 obsessive-compulsive personality (disorder) adds F60.5; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: F42 vs F60.5 →

• F32— 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 obsessive-compulsive symptoms occurring in depression adds F32; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: F42 vs F32 →

• F33— 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 obsessive-compulsive symptoms occurring in depression adds F33; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: F42 vs F33 →

• F20— 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 obsessive-compulsive symptoms occurring in schizophrenia adds F20; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

  Full comparison: F42 vs F20 →

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: F42.2, F42.3, F42.4, F42.8, F42.9.

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 F42 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 1 Excludes1 note: R46.81 — Obsessive-compulsive behavior.

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: F60.5 — Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, F93.0 — Separation anxiety disorder of childhood, F98 — Other behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence, F98.4 — Stereotyped movement disorders.

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

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):MBD006 — Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (default).

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders).

F42.2 — Mixed obsessional thoughts and acts, F42.3 — Hoarding disorder, F42.4 — Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder, F42.8 — Other obsessive-compulsive disorder, F42.9 — Obsessive-compulsive disorder, unspecified, F45.22 — Body dysmorphic disorder, F63.3 — Trichotillomania

Contextual Map

Every relationship of F42 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 F42 with these 8 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
• F40-F48 — Anxiety, dissociative, stress-related, somatoform and other nonpsychotic mental disorders[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Excludes2

• F20 — Schizophrenia[Excludes2]: “obsessive-compulsive symptoms occurring in schizophrenia (F20.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F32 — Depressive episode[Excludes2]: “obsessive-compulsive symptoms occurring in depression (F32.-, F33.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F33 — Major depressive disorder, recurrent[Excludes2]: “obsessive-compulsive symptoms occurring in depression (F32.-, F33.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F60.5 — Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder[Excludes2]: “obsessive-compulsive personality (disorder) (F60.5)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

• R46.81 — Obsessive-compulsive behavior[Excludes1]: “obsessive-compulsive disorder (F42.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

• F60.5 — Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder[Excludes2]: “obsessive-compulsive disorder (F42.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F93.0 — Separation anxiety disorder of childhood[Excludes2]: “nonpsychotic mental disorders (F40-F48)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F98 — Other behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence[Excludes2]: “obsessive-compulsive disorder (F42.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• F98.4 — Stereotyped movement disorders[Excludes2]: “compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (F42.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Clinical classification (CCSR)

• MBD006 — Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)

Nearest codes

• F42.2 — Mixed obsessional thoughts and acts[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F42.3 — Hoarding disorder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F42.4 — Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F42.8 — Other obsessive-compulsive disorder[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• F42.9 — Obsessive-compulsive disorder, unspecified[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Change history (2)

• FY2017 — Became a non-billable header[Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2017
• and 1 more

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 F42 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• F42.2 — Mixed obsessional thoughts and acts
• F42.3 — Hoarding disorder
• F42.4 — Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder
• F42.8 — Other obsessive-compulsive disorder
• F42.9 — Obsessive-compulsive disorder, unspecified