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F18.10 ICD-10-CM Code: Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated

F18.10 maps to CMS-HCC V28 138. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC Buddy coding tools

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Code lookupF18.10

FY 2026 Apr update / Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01-F99) / Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F10-F19)

F18.10

Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated

A person is abusing inhalant substances (like glue, paint thinner, or aerosols) without any additional complications or symptoms.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Inhalant abuse captures a pattern of maladaptive use of volatile substances (glue, paint thinner, aerosols, gasoline, nitrous oxide) without meeting full dependence criteria.

OverviewRisk ModelsCode BookDocumentationAuditNotesEdition comparison

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 138

Coefficient HCC 138: 0.423 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

N/A

—

Not mapped

ESRD/PACE

HCC 56

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

N/A

—

Not mapped

Code Book Path

Official
F18Inhalant related disordersF18.1Inhalant abuseF18.10Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Inhalant use disorder, mild

Excludes 2

Official
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)Inherited from F01-F99

Related Codes

Official
F18.11Inhalant abuse, in remissionF18.12Inhalant abuse with intoxicationF18.14Inhalant abuse with inhalant-induced mood disorderF18.15Inhalant abuse with inhalant-induced psychotic disorderF18.17Inhalant abuse with inhalant-induced dementia

Includes

Official
  • disorders of psychological developmentInherited from F01-F99, F18
  • volatile solventsInherited from F01-F99, F18

Excludes 1

Official
  • inhalant dependence (F18.2-)Inherited from F18.1
  • inhalant use, unspecified (F18.9-)Inherited from F18.1

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for F18.10. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for F18.10. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for F18.10. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation using the term 'abuse' (not 'use' or 'dependence')
Type of inhalant when known (volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, nitrites)
Documentation that the condition is uncomplicated — no intoxication, withdrawal, or induced disorders
Substance abuse screening results (CAGE-AID, DAST)

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation using the term 'abuse' (not 'use' or 'dependence')
Type of inhalant when known (volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, nitrites)
Documentation that the condition is uncomplicated — no intoxication, withdrawal, or induced disorders
Substance abuse screening results (CAGE-AID, DAST)

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Confusing abuse with dependence — abuse does not require physiologic dependence criteria
Not documenting 'uncomplicated' when no induced disorders are present
Using a general substance abuse code instead of the inhalant-specific code
Missing the diagnosis entirely because inhalant abuse is underreported, especially in adolescents

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
F18.20 — Inhalant dependence, uncomplicated; dependence requires loss of control, tolerance, or withdrawal
F18.11 — Inhalant abuse, in remission; use when the patient has stopped using
F18.120 — Inhalant abuse with intoxication; use when currently intoxicated
F18.90 — Inhalant use, unspecified; less specific, does not capture abuse diagnosis

Current with CMS: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr 1 update (effective Apr 1 – Sep 30, 2026) · CMS-HCC V28, 100% phased in for payment year 2026. FY2027 code set already staged for October 1, 2026. How HCC Buddy stays current →

Is F18.10 an HCC code?

Yes. F18.10 (Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated) maps to HCC 138, Drug Use Disorder, Mild, Uncomplicated, Except Cannabis under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.423. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: F18.10 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 138, Drug Use Disorder, Mild, Uncomplicated, Except Cannabis. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
F18.10
Description
Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated
HCC (V28)
HCC 138 — Drug Use Disorder, Mild, Uncomplicated, Except Cannabis
RAF reference coefficient
0.423
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 138, Drug Use Disorder, Mild, Uncomplicated, Except Cannabis
0.423
ESRDHCC 56, Substance Use Disorder/Mild/Except Alcohol and Cannabis
Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. Weights are not directly comparable across models: CMS-HCC V28 and V24 use Community, Non-Dual, Aged; ESRD uses the dialysis continuing-enrollee model; RxHCC is the Part D continuing-enrollee, non-low-income, aged weight (a larger scale than CMS-HCC). ACA/HHS has no single weight — it varies by metal level. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work F18.10 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for F18.10

For F18.10, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

  • 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

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

F18.10 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for inhalant abuse, uncomplicated. A person is abusing inhalant substances (like glue, paint thinner, or aerosols) without any additional complications or symptoms. F18.10 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, F18.10 maps to Drug Use Disorder, Mild, Uncomplicated, Except Cannabis (HCC 138) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.423. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Use this code when inhalant abuse is documented without intoxication, withdrawal, or other specified conditions. For F18.10, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule. 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, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for F18.10 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • •Use this code when inhalant abuse is documented without intoxication, withdrawal, or other specified conditions
  • •Verify documentation clearly states 'abuse' rather than 'dependence' to ensure correct code selection

Clinical Significance

Inhalant abuse captures a pattern of maladaptive use of volatile substances (glue, paint thinner, aerosols, gasoline, nitrous oxide) without meeting full dependence criteria. Inhalant abuse is particularly dangerous due to risk of sudden sniffing death syndrome, cardiac arrhythmias, and irreversible neurotoxicity even with short-term use.

Documentation Requirements

  • ✓Provider documentation using the term 'abuse' (not 'use' or 'dependence')
  • ✓Type of inhalant when known (volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, nitrites)
  • ✓Documentation that the condition is uncomplicated — no intoxication, withdrawal, or induced disorders
  • ✓Substance abuse screening results (CAGE-AID, DAST)
  • ✓Assessment of organ damage (cardiac, hepatic, renal, neurologic)

Commonly Confused Codes

  • •F18.20: Inhalant dependence, uncomplicated; dependence requires loss of control, tolerance, or withdrawal
  • •F18.11: Inhalant abuse, in remission; use when the patient has stopped using
  • •F18.120: Inhalant abuse with intoxication; use when currently intoxicated
  • •F18.90: Inhalant use, unspecified; less specific, does not capture abuse diagnosis

Child Codes

F18.10Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated
HCC 138
F18.11Inhalant abuse, in remission
HCC 138
F18.12Inhalant abuse with intoxication
F18.14Inhalant abuse with inhalant-induced mood disorder
HCC 137
F18.15Inhalant abuse with inhalant-induced psychotic disorder
F18.17Inhalant abuse with inhalant-induced dementia
HCC 135
F18.18Inhalant abuse with other inhalant-induced disorders
F18.19Inhalant abuse with unspecified inhalant-induced disorder
HCC 137

Code Hierarchy

└F18Inhalant related disorders└F18.1Inhalant abuse└F18.10Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated
└F18.10Inhalant abuse, uncomplicated

Also searched as

  • F18 10
  • F1810

For F18.10, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

F18.10 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 138, Drug Use Disorder, Mild, Uncomplicated, Except Cannabis. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for F18.10. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

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Open F18.10 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 7 days to try everything, no card required.

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