What is ICD-10 code F33.8?

F33.8 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Other recurrent depressive disorders. Other types of recurring depression that don't fit the standard major depressive disorder categories but still involve repeated depressive episodes. It belongs to the ICD-10-CM chapter for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (f01-f99). F33.8 is a billable code, meaning it can be reported on a claim as a primary or secondary diagnosis when supported by documentation. F33.8 is part of the FY2026 ICD-10-CM code set published by the CMS National Center for Health Statistics and used on Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial claims in the United States.

Yes. F33.8 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. F33.8 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Which HCC does F33.8 map to under V28?

F33.8 does not map to a CMS-HCC V28 payment category. Check the current CMS-HCC V28 model file for payment year 2026 rather than an older V24 tip sheet.

What does F33.8 pay in RAF?

F33.8 has no separately stated V28 community RAF weight. If it is not a V28 payment HCC, it adds nothing to a community RAF score.

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for F33.8?

CMS phased in the V28 risk adjustment model over payment years 2024 (33%), 2025 (67%), and 2026 (100%), replacing V24. V28 consolidates HCC categories, removes some lower-acuity conditions, and recalibrates RAF weights across the entire model. F33.8 was a payment HCC under V24 (Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders) but the V28 recalibration removed it from the risk adjustment model. Both models can still appear in legacy data and in payer-specific lookback periods.

What documentation supports F33.8?

Use this code for recurrent depressive disorders that have atypical presentations or don't meet full major depressive disorder criteria Documentation should specify the nature of the recurrent depressive condition Because F33.8 maps to a payment HCC, the documentation must also satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's risk adjustment score. See the MEAT criteria checklist at /meat-criteria for what Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat looks like in a note. MEAT is generic documentation evidence, not a payer-specific rule.

2026 ICD-10-CM F33.8: Other recurrent depressive

F33.8 is not a CMS-HCC payment code. MEAT criteria · RAF calculator · HCC coding software

ICD-10-CM Code View

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Code lookupF33.8Effective periodFY2026 Apr Update (Apr 1-Sep 30)

FY 2026 Apr update / Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01-F99) / Mood [affective] disorders (F30-F39)

F33.8

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

Other recurrent depressive disorders

Other types of recurring depression that don't fit the standard major depressive disorder categories but still involve repeated depressive episodes.

Buddy Insight

CMS-HCC V28

N/A

—

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

Not mapped

CMS-HCC V24

Mapped

HCC 59

Major Depressive, Bipolar, an...

RAF 0.309

ACA/HHS

N/A

—

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

Not mapped

ESRD/PACE

Mapped

HCC 59

Major Depressive, Bipolar, an...

RAF 0.066

RXHCC

Mapped

HCC 132

Major Depressive Disorder and...

RAF 0.070

Code Book Path

Official

F33Major depressive disorder, recurrent

F33.8Other recurrent depressive disorders

Inclusion Terms

Official

Recurrent brief depressive episodes

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for F33.8 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official

F33.0Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild

F33.1Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate

F33.2Major depressive disorder, recurrent severe without psychotic features

F33.3Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms

F33.4Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission

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

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for F33.8 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for F33.8 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for F33.8 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance

Provider documentation of a recurrent depressive condition

Description of the specific features that differentiate this from standard recurrent MDD

History of multiple depressive episodes or recurrent pattern

Reason why standard MDD criteria are not fully met

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance

Provider documentation of a recurrent depressive condition

Description of the specific features that differentiate this from standard recurrent MDD

History of multiple depressive episodes or recurrent pattern

Reason why standard MDD criteria are not fully met

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance

Using this code when standard recurrent MDD codes are available and appropriate

Confusing 'other' with 'unspecified' — other implies the provider has described specific features

Not documenting what makes the presentation atypical or different from standard recurrent MDD

Using this code for recurrent brief depressive disorder without adequate documentation

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance

F33.9 — Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified: Use when MDD criteria are met but severity is unspecified

F33.0-F33.3 — Severity-specific recurrent MDD: Use when full MDD criteria are met

F34.1 — Dysthymic disorder: Chronic persistent depression, not episodic

F32.89 — Other specified depressive episodes: Use for non-recurrent atypical depression

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 F33.8 an HCC code?

Yes. F33.8 maps to Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders under the V24 model but is not retained in V28.

Code: F33.8
Description: Other recurrent depressive disorders
HCC (V28): No CMS-HCC V28 mapping
RAF: —
Billable: Yes
Payment year: 2026

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 59, Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders

0.309

ESRDHCC 59, Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders

0.066

RxHCCHCC 132, Major Depressive Disorder and Other Mood Disorders

0.070

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 F33.8 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for F33.8

For F33.8 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 F33.8 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

F33.8 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other recurrent depressive disorders. Other types of recurring depression that don't fit the standard major depressive disorder categories but still involve repeated depressive episodes. F33.8 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, F33.8 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.

Use this code for recurrent depressive disorders that have atypical presentations or don't meet full major depressive disorder criteria. Because F33.8 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 F33.8 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

•Use this code for recurrent depressive disorders that have atypical presentations or don't meet full major depressive disorder criteria
•Documentation should specify the nature of the recurrent depressive condition

Clinical Significance

Other recurrent depressive disorders captures recurrent depressive conditions that do not fully meet standard recurrent major depressive disorder criteria but are recognized by the provider as a distinct recurrent depressive pattern. This may include recurrent brief depressive disorder or other atypical recurrent depressive presentations. Accurate coding ensures these patients receive appropriate psychiatric management.

Documentation Requirements

✓Provider documentation of a recurrent depressive condition
✓Description of the specific features that differentiate this from standard recurrent MDD
✓History of multiple depressive episodes or recurrent pattern
✓Reason why standard MDD criteria are not fully met
✓Current treatment plan

Commonly Confused Codes

•F33.9: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified: Use when MDD criteria are met but severity is unspecified
•F33.0-F33.3: Severity-specific recurrent MDD: Use when full MDD criteria are met
•F34.1: Dysthymic disorder: Chronic persistent depression, not episodic
•F32.89: Other specified depressive episodes: Use for non-recurrent atypical depression