F18.980
BillableInhalant use, unspecified with inhalant-induced anxiety disorder
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is F18.980 an HCC code?
Yes. F18.980 maps to Drug Use Disorder/Substance Use Disorder, Moderate/Severe 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 F18.980
For F18.980 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 F18.980 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
F18.980 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for inhalant use, unspecified with inhalant-induced anxiety disorder. A person who inhales substances (like glue or paint thinner) and has developed anxiety disorder as a result of this substance use. F18.980 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, F18.980 maps to Drug Use Disorder/Substance Use Disorder, Moderate/Severe (HCC 137) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.358. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, F18.980 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.
Document the specific inhalant substance when possible to support medical necessity. Because F18.980 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 F18.980 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Document the specific inhalant substance when possible to support medical necessity
- •Ensure anxiety disorder is documented as directly related to inhalant use, not as a separate condition
Clinical Significance
This code identifies substance-induced anxiety disorder from inhalant use, where anxiety symptoms are a direct pharmacological consequence of the substance. This dual diagnosis increases treatment complexity and resource utilization compared to either condition alone. Accurate capture supports risk stratification reflecting the combined behavioral health burden.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Provider documentation of inhalant use, specifying the type of inhalant when known (e.g., toluene, gasoline, aerosol propellants, nitrites)
- ✓Documentation of substance use pattern; query provider to determine if abuse or dependence criteria are met for more specific coding
- ✓Documentation of anxiety symptoms (panic attacks, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive features) with explicit causal link to the substance use
- ✓Evidence that anxiety symptoms are not better explained by a primary anxiety disorder
- ✓Assessment and plan addressing the substance use disorder with treatment approach documented