F18.250
BillableInhalant dependence with inhalant-induced psychotic disorder with delusions
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is F18.250 an HCC code?
Yes. F18.250 maps to Drug/Alcohol Psychosis under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Drug/Alcohol Psychosis 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 F18.250
For F18.250 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 F18.250 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
F18.250 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for inhalant dependence with inhalant-induced psychotic disorder with delusions. A person who is dependent on inhalants and has developed a psychotic disorder with delusions (false beliefs) directly caused by the inhalant use. F18.250 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, F18.250 maps to Drug/Alcohol Psychosis (HCC 135) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.000. Under the older V24 model, F18.250 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.434 — V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. 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.
Document the specific delusions present and their relationship to inhalant use. Because F18.250 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 F18.250 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Document the specific delusions present and their relationship to inhalant use
- •Distinguish between inhalant-induced psychosis and primary psychotic disorders
Clinical Significance
Inhalant dependence with induced psychotic disorder with delusions is a severe presentation indicating that chronic inhalant use has caused both physiological dependence and substance-induced psychosis with prominent delusional thinking. This represents significant neurotoxic damage and maps to the highest substance use HCC.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation of inhalant dependence
- ✓Specific documentation of delusions (type and content of false beliefs)
- ✓Provider statement linking psychosis to inhalant use
- ✓Mental status examination with detailed psychotic symptom assessment
- ✓Differentiation from primary psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, delusional disorder)
- ✓Brain imaging if available (inhalant-related white matter damage)
- ✓Dual treatment plan for dependence and psychosis