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Z74.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Need for assistance at home and no other household member able to render care

Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.

Coding at a Glance

Tabular directives
1 Excludes2

Inpatient Payment Groups (MS-DRG)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

MS-DRGs this diagnosis helps define, as principal or secondary, per the CMS ICD-10-CM/PCS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v43, Appendix B.

  • MS-DRG 951 — OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH STATUS (MDC 23)

A diagnosis appearing in a group's logic does not by itself determine the DRG assigned to a stay; the grouper uses the full claim.

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for Z74.2 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Notes without a marker are published on Z74.2 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

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

Source: inherited from Z74

Coder workflow for Z74.2

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

Before you code Z74.2

  1. Confirm the reason for the encounter this Z code records: the circumstance it records. Check whether the code may be reported as first-listed or principal — some Z codes are limited to one position — and do not report a history or status code for a condition documented as current. Z code categories and their reporting positions (Guidelines I.C.21.c, I.C.21.c.15).

    Guide: Z codes as principal or first-listed diagnosis →

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).
The reason for the encounter
Whether the code records the encounter’s purpose, a status, or a history — and whether it may be first-listed (Guidelines I.C.21.c).

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes2 — not part of Z74.2(1 note)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in Z74.2. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareZ99

    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.

Code Overview

Need for assistance at home and no other household member able to render care is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (Z74.2).

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

Indexed Clinical Terms (13)

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.

Official Coding Guidelines

Official source data — quoted verbatim from the CMS/NCHS Official 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 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)

Miscellaneous Z codes/subcategories/categories: Z28 Immunization not carried out Except: Z28.3-, Underimmunization status Z29 Encounter for other prophylactic measures Z40 Encounter for prophylactic surgery Z41 Encounter for procedures for purposes other than remedying health state Except: Z41.9, Encounter for procedure for purposes other than remedying health state, unspecified Z53 Persons encountering health services for specific procedures and treatment, not carried out Z72 Problems related to lifestyle Note: These codes should be assigned only when the documentation specifies that the patient has an associated problem Z73 Problems related to life management difficulty Note: These codes should be assigned only when the documentation specifies that the patient has an associated problem. Z74 Problems related to care provider dependency Except: Z74.01, Bed confinement status Z75 Problems related to medical facilities and other health care Z76.0 Encounter for issue of repeat prescription

Verify Before Coding

  • Principal-diagnosis restriction. The Medicare Code Editor lists this code as unacceptable as a principal diagnosis: it describes a circumstance influencing health status rather than a current illness or injury being treated. It is valid as a secondary diagnosis.

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 Z74.2 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: Z73.6 — Limitation of activities due to disability (via Z74.-), Z75.0 — Medical services not available in home.

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

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

Not on the CMS CC/MCC list — as a secondary diagnosis this code does not change MS-DRG severity.

Named in the grouper logic of 1 MS-DRG: DRG 951 (MDC 23).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):FAC025 — Other specified status (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

Principal diagnosis restriction (Medicare Code Editor)

Not acceptable as a principal diagnosis on an inpatient claim.

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Other specified status).

Z68.28 — Body mass index [BMI] 28.0-28.9, adult, Z68.29 — Body mass index [BMI] 29.0-29.9, adult, Z68.51 — Body mass index [BMI] pediatric, less than 5th percentile for age, Z68.52 — Body mass index [BMI] pediatric, 5th percentile to less than 85th percentile for age, Z68.53 — Body mass index [BMI] pediatric, 85th percentile to less than 95th percentile for age, Z71.1 — Person with feared health complaint in whom no diagnosis is made, Z71.2 — Person consulting for explanation of examination or test findings, Z74.01 — Bed confinement status, Z74.09 — Other reduced mobility, Z74.1 — Need for assistance with personal care, Z74.3 — Need for continuous supervision, Z74.8 — Other problems related to care provider dependency, Z74.9 — Problem related to care provider dependency, unspecified, Z75.0 — Medical services not available in home, Z75.1 — Person awaiting admission to adequate facility elsewhere, Z75.2 — Other waiting period for investigation and treatment, Z75.3 — Unavailability and inaccessibility of health-care facilities, Z75.4 — Unavailability and inaccessibility of other helping agencies, Z75.5 — Holiday relief care, Z75.8 — Other problems related to medical facilities and other health care, +232 more

Same Index main term, other category

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

Z63.8 — Other specified problems related to primary support group (family support), Z71.0 — Person encountering health services to consult on behalf of another person (consulting on behalf of another), Z71.41 — Alcohol abuse counseling and surveillance of alcoholic (alcohol, counseling and surveillance), Z71.51 — Drug abuse counseling and surveillance of drug abuser (drug NEC, counseling and surveillance), Z71.6 — Tobacco abuse counseling (tobacco, counseling and surveillance), Z72.3 — Lack of physical exercise (physical exercise), Z72.4 — Inappropriate diet and eating habits (eating habits), Z72.820 — Sleep deprivation (sleep), Z73.2 — Lack of relaxation and leisure (relaxation), Z73.4 — Inadequate social skills, not elsewhere classified (social, skills NEC), Z75.1 — Person awaiting admission to adequate facility elsewhere (on waiting list), Z75.5 — Holiday relief care (respite), Z76.1 — Encounter for health supervision and care of foundling (foundling), Z76.2 — Encounter for health supervision and care of other healthy infant and child (child), Z76.5 — Malingerer [conscious simulation] (feigning illness), Z95.812 — Presence of fully implantable artificial heart (on, artificial heart), Z99.0 — Dependence on aspirator (on, aspirator), Z99.11 — Dependence on respirator [ventilator] status (on, ventilator), Z99.2 — Dependence on renal dialysis (on, renal dialysis), Z99.3 — Dependence on wheelchair (on, wheelchair), +234 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of Z74.2 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 Z74.2 with these 2 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Clinical classification (CCSR)

MS-DRG Grouper

MDC crossing

  • MDC 23 — Factors Influencing Health Status and Other Contacts with Health Services[MDC crossing]: “Factors Influencing Health Status and Other Contacts with Health Services — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 1,235 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026

Index entries (13)

  • Care (of) (for) (following), family member (handicapped) (sick), unavailable, due to, absence (person rendering care) (sufferer)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Care (of) (for) (following), family member (handicapped) (sick), unavailable, due to, inabilityof person rendering care (any reason)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Care (of) (for) (following), unavailable, due to, absence of person rendering care[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Care (of) (for) (following), unavailable, due to, inabilityof person rendering care (any reason)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Dependence (on) (syndrome), on, care provider (because of), no other household member able to render care[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Inadequate, inadequacy, household care, due to, family member, handicapped or ill[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Inadequate, inadequacy, household care, due to, family member, temporarily away from home[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • Inadequate, inadequacy, household care, due to, temporary absence from home of person rendering care[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
  • and 5 more

Nearest codes

Change history

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

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
Coding guidelines Official source data
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (FY2026), quoted by section 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
Inpatient payment groups Official source data
CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v43 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

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Need for assistance at home and no other household member able to render care

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026), 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 Z74.2 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the Z74 family