What is ICD-10 code F33.9?

F33.9 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified. Recurring major depression where the specific severity level or remission status is not documented or specified. It belongs to the ICD-10-CM chapter for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (f01-f99). F33.9 is a billable code, meaning it can be reported on a claim as a primary or secondary diagnosis when supported by documentation. F33.9 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. F33.9 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. F33.9 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.

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for F33.9?

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. F33.9 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 should coders know when reporting F33.9?

This is a default code used when the provider documents recurrent major depression but doesn't specify the current episode severity or remission status Attempt to query the provider for more specific information to use a more precise code Because F33.9 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.

F33.9: Major depressive disorder, recurrent

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.

Code lookupF33.9Effective periodFY2026 Apr Update (Apr 1-Sep 30)

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

F33.9

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

Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified

Recurring major depression where the specific severity level or remission status is not documented or specified.

Buddy Insight

Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified is used when the provider documents recurrent MDD without specifying the current severity or remission status.

CMS-HCC V28

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

RAF 0

CMS-HCC V24

Mapped

HCC 59

Major Depressive, Bipolar, an...

RAF 0.309

ACA/HHS

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

Mapped

HCC 59

Major Depressive, Bipolar, an...

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

Mapped

HCC 132

Major Depressive Disorder and...

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official

F33Major depressive disorder, recurrent

F33.9Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified

Inclusion Terms

Official

Monopolar depression NOS

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for F33.9 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 F33.9 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for F33.9 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for F33.9 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance

Provider documentation of recurrent major depressive disorder

History of at least two separate major depressive episodes

Provider should be queried for: current severity, remission status, presence of psychotic features

Treatment plan consistent with MDD management

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance

Provider documentation of recurrent major depressive disorder

History of at least two separate major depressive episodes

Provider should be queried for: current severity, remission status, presence of psychotic features

Treatment plan consistent with MDD management

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance

Using unspecified when severity or remission status is documented in the chart

Not querying the provider for severity — this is one of the highest-yield documentation improvement queries

Coding as single episode when the chart contains prior episode history

Accepting 'depression' without confirming it meets MDD criteria

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance

F33.0-F33.3 — Severity-specific recurrent MDD codes: Use when severity is documented

F33.40-F33.42 — Recurrent MDD remission codes: Use when in remission

F32.9 — Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified: Only one prior episode

F32.A — Depression, unspecified: Less specific, not confirmed as MDD

Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.

Is F33.9 an HCC code?

Yes. F33.9 maps to Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders under the V24 model but is not retained in V28.

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 59, Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders

0.309

ESRDHCC 59, Major Depressive, Bipolar, and Paranoid Disorders

0.000

RxHCCHCC 132, Major Depressive Disorder and Other Mood Disorders

0.000

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 F33.9

For F33.9to 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 F33.9 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

F33.9 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified. Recurring major depression where the specific severity level or remission status is not documented or specified. F33.9 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, F33.9 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.

This is a default code used when the provider documents recurrent major depression but doesn't specify the current episode severity or remission status. Because F33.9 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 F33.9 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

•This is a default code used when the provider documents recurrent major depression but doesn't specify the current episode severity or remission status
•Attempt to query the provider for more specific information to use a more precise code

Clinical Significance

Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified is used when the provider documents recurrent MDD without specifying the current severity or remission status. This code is commonly used but represents a documentation improvement opportunity, as specifying severity enables more accurate risk adjustment and treatment planning. Recurrent MDD is a significant chronic psychiatric condition requiring ongoing management.

Documentation Requirements

✓Provider documentation of recurrent major depressive disorder
✓History of at least two separate major depressive episodes
✓Provider should be queried for: current severity, remission status, presence of psychotic features
✓Treatment plan consistent with MDD management
✓Current medication list

Commonly Confused Codes

•F33.0-F33.3: Severity-specific recurrent MDD codes: Use when severity is documented
•F33.40-F33.42: Recurrent MDD remission codes: Use when in remission
•F32.9: Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified: Only one prior episode
•F32.A: Depression, unspecified: Less specific, not confirmed as MDD