F10.939
BillableAlcohol use, unspecified with withdrawal, unspecified
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is F10.939 an HCC code?
Yes. F10.939 maps to Alcohol Use Disorder under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Drug/Alcohol Dependence under V24).
HCC Category Mapping
RAF weights shown are the community, non-dual, aged base weights from the CMS risk adjustment model file. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member segment, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains in use during the transition and for historical data.
MEAT Criteria for F10.939
For F10.939 to count as a valid HCC diagnosis in a given encounter, the provider's documentation must show MEAT: Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat. A diagnosis from a prior year does not carry forward automatically — it has to be re-documented and supported each calendar year.
- MMonitor: signs, symptoms, disease progression, or lab trending documented in the note
- EEvaluate: test results, medication response, or physical findings reviewed by the provider
- AAssess: explicit mention in the assessment or plan with acknowledgment of status
- TTreat: medication, referral, procedure, therapy, or counseling tied to the diagnosis
Only one of M/E/A/T is required to support the code, but the documentation must be specific enough to show that the provider actually addressed F10.939 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
F10.939 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for alcohol use, unspecified with withdrawal, unspecified. A person uses alcohol and is experiencing withdrawal symptoms, but the specific type or severity is not clearly documented. F10.939 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (f01-f99), within the section covering mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use (f10-f19).
Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, F10.939 maps to Alcohol Use Disorder (HCC 139) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.584. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, F10.939 maps to Drug/Alcohol Dependence (HCC 55) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.334. V28 is the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model that reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition.
Use this code only when withdrawal is documented but cannot be classified as uncomplicated, with delirium, or with perceptual disturbance. Because F10.939 maps to a payment HCC, the provider's documentation must satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's Medicare Advantage risk adjustment score. When documentation is ambiguous, coders should issue a provider query rather than assume the highest-specificity variant.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for F10.939 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Use this code only when withdrawal is documented but cannot be classified as uncomplicated, with delirium, or with perceptual disturbance
- •Request clarification from the provider to assign a more specific withdrawal code if possible
Clinical Significance
Alcohol withdrawal, unspecified represents a clinically significant state where abrupt cessation or reduction of alcohol intake triggers autonomic hyperactivity and neuropsychiatric symptoms. This diagnosis matters for risk adjustment because withdrawal indicates a severity of alcohol use that requires medical monitoring and intervention, reflecting higher expected healthcare costs.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Provider documentation of alcohol use pattern (frequency, quantity, duration)
- ✓Documentation of withdrawal symptoms present (tremors, diaphoresis, tachycardia, anxiety, nausea)
- ✓Statement that withdrawal type/severity is unspecified or cannot be further classified
- ✓Clinical assessment ruling out other causes of symptoms (infection, metabolic derangement)
- ✓Treatment plan for withdrawal management (benzodiazepines, supportive care, monitoring protocol)
Commonly Confused Codes
- •F10.930 — Alcohol use, unspecified with withdrawal, uncomplicated: use when withdrawal is straightforward without delirium or perceptual disturbances
- •F10.931 — Alcohol use, unspecified with withdrawal delirium: use when delirium tremens is documented
- •F10.232 — Alcohol dependence with withdrawal with perceptual disturbance: use when dependence is established and perceptual disturbances are present
- •F10.239 — Alcohol dependence with withdrawal, unspecified: use when dependence (not unspecified use) is documented