F33.0 ICD-10-CM Code: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild
F33.0 is not a CMS-HCC payment code. MEAT criteria · RAF calculator · free HCC coding tools
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FY 2026 Apr update / Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01-F99) / Mood [affective] disorders (F30-F39)
F33.0
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidanceMajor depressive disorder, recurrent, mild
Multiple episodes of depression throughout a person's life with mild symptoms that cause minimal functional impairment.
Buddy Insight
Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild indicates the patient has a history of multiple major depressive episodes with the current episode being mild.
CMS-HCC V28
N/A—
Not mapped
CMS-HCC V24
MappedHCC 59
RAF 0.309
ACA/HHS
N/A—
Not mapped
ESRD/PACE
MappedHCC 59
RAF 0.066
RXHCC
MappedHCC 132
RAF 0.070
Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for F33.0 in this effective period.
Excludes 2
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for F33.0 in this effective period.
Related Child Codes
Includes
Official- recurrent episodes of depressive reaction
- recurrent episodes of endogenous depression
- recurrent episodes of major depression
- recurrent episodes of psychogenic depression
- recurrent episodes of reactive depression
Excludes 1
Official- bipolar disorder (F31.-)
- manic episode (F30.-)
Code First
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for F33.0 in this effective period.
Use Additional
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for F33.0 in this effective period.
Code Also
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for F33.0 in this effective period.
Buddy Documentation Tip
MEAT Support
Audit Caution
Common Mistakes
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 F33.0 an HCC code?
Yes. F33.0 maps to Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders under the V24 model but is not retained in V28.
- Code
- F33.0
- Description
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild
- HCC (V28)
- No CMS-HCC V28 mapping
- RAF
- —
- Billable
- Yes
- Payment year
- 2026
HCC Category Mapping
Each model's RAF is its CMS base weight for that model's standard population, so 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 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.
Work F33.0 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →
MEAT Criteria for F33.0
For F33.0 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 F33.0 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
Coder workflow notes
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What This Code Means
F33.0 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild. Multiple episodes of depression throughout a person's life with mild symptoms that cause minimal functional impairment. F33.0 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (f01-f99), within the section covering mood [affective] disorders (f30-f39).
Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, F33.0 maps to Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders (HCC 59) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.309. 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.
MDD, recurrent, mild, chart must establish at least two distinct MDD episodes with current mild severity. The 'recurrent' specifier is durable across the chart's lifetime. Because F33.0 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 F33.0 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •MDD, recurrent, mild, chart must establish at least two distinct MDD episodes with current mild severity. The 'recurrent' specifier is durable across the chart's lifetime.
- •Do not miss the recurrent specifier when the history supports it. A patient with any documented prior depressive episode and current MDD should be coded F33.*, not F32.*.
- •F33.0 (recurrent, mild) does NOT map to a V28 payment HCC. Like mild single-episode depression, mild recurrent MDD was excluded from the V28 depression HCC; only moderate (F33.1) and severe-without-psychosis (F33.2) recurrent MDD map to HCC 155 at RAF 0.299.
Clinical Significance
Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild indicates the patient has a history of multiple major depressive episodes with the current episode being mild. The recurrent designation is clinically significant because it indicates a higher lifetime risk of future episodes and typically warrants long-term or indefinite maintenance antidepressant therapy. Even mild recurrent depression requires ongoing management.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Provider documentation of major depressive disorder with recurrent episodes
- ✓History of at least two separate major depressive episodes
- ✓Current episode documented as mild severity
- ✓Core depressive symptoms documented with minimal functional impairment
- ✓Maintenance treatment plan including medication management
- ✓Duration of current symptoms
Commonly Confused Codes
- •F32.0: Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild: Only one lifetime episode
- •F33.1: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate: Greater functional impairment
- •F34.1: Dysthymic disorder: Chronic persistent depression, not episodic recurrence
- •F33.9: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified: Use when severity is not documented