F31.81
BillableBipolar II disorder
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 154 — Bipolar Disorders
0.265V24HCC 59 — Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders
0.309ESRDHCC 59 — Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders
0.000RxHCCHCC 131 — Bipolar Disorders
0.000What This Code Means
A specific type of bipolar disorder characterized by depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes (less severe elevated mood), but without full manic episodes.
Coding Tips
- •Bipolar II is distinct from Bipolar I; ensure documentation clearly indicates hypomanic rather than manic episodes
- •Verify that patient has never experienced a full manic episode to confirm Bipolar II diagnosis
Clinical Significance
Bipolar II disorder is characterized by recurrent major depressive episodes alternating with hypomanic (not full manic) episodes. This is a distinct diagnostic entity from bipolar I disorder and carries significant clinical importance due to the predominance of depressive episodes, which account for the majority of illness burden. Bipolar II patients spend more time in depressive states and have high rates of suicidality and functional impairment.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Provider explicitly documents bipolar II disorder (not simply 'bipolar disorder')
- ✓History of at least one hypomanic episode documented
- ✓History of at least one major depressive episode documented
- ✓Absence of full manic episodes in the patient's history
- ✓Current mood state and treatment plan
- ✓Current medications including mood stabilizers and/or atypical antipsychotics
Commonly Confused Codes
F31.0 — Bipolar disorder, current episode hypomanic: Bipolar I with current hypomanic episode, not bipolar IIF31.9 — Bipolar disorder, unspecified: Less specific, does not differentiate type I from type IIF33.x — Major depressive disorder, recurrent: No hypomanic episode historyF34.0 — Cyclothymic disorder: Subsyndromal mood fluctuations not meeting bipolar II criteria
Code Hierarchy
└F31Bipolar disorder└F31.8Other bipolar disorders└F31.81Bipolar II disorder
└F31.81Bipolar II disorder