What is ICD-10 code F40.230?

F40.230 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Fear of blood. An intense fear of seeing blood that may cause fainting, avoidance of medical settings, or anxiety during injuries. It belongs to the ICD-10-CM chapter for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (f01-f99). F40.230 is a billable code, meaning it can be reported on a claim as a primary or secondary diagnosis when supported by documentation. F40.230 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. F40.230 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. F40.230 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 F40.230 map to under V28?

F40.230 has no payable CMS-HCC V28 mapping in the final FY2026 CMS file.

What RAF reference is published for F40.230?

F40.230 has no V28 reference coefficient because the final FY2026 source verifies no payable V28 mapping.

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for F40.230?

F40.230 has verified no payable V28 mapping in the final FY2026 source. Select a historical effective period before making any V24 comparison.

What documentation supports F40.230?

This is a blood-injection-injury type phobia Document whether the fear is of seeing blood, own blood, or others' blood F40.230 is not a CMS-HCC V28 payment code in the verified current source, so MEAT is not the payment hook. Documentation still has to support the diagnosis if you report it.

2026 ICD-10-CM F40.230: Fear of blood

F40.230 is not a CMS-HCC payment code. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · free HCC coding tools

ICD-10-CM Code View

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

Code lookupF40.230

Effective periodFY2026 Apr Update (Apr 1-Sep 30)

FY 2026 Apr update / Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01-F99) / Anxiety, dissociative, stress-related, somatoform and other nonpsychotic mental disorders (F40-F48)

F40.230

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

Fear of blood

An intense fear of seeing blood that may cause fainting, avoidance of medical settings, or anxiety during injuries.

Buddy Insight

Fear of blood (hemophobia) is a blood-injection-injury subtype specific phobia characterized by intense fear or anxiety triggered by seeing blood.

Overview Risk Models Code Book Documentation Audit Notes Edition comparison

CMS-HCC V28

N/A

—

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

Not mapped

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Not used for standard CY2026 Medicare Advantage payment. Select a historical period to review V24.

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

N/A

—

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

Not mapped

ESRD/PACE

N/A

—

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

Not mapped

RXHCC

Mapped

HCC 133

Anxiety and Other Psychiatric...

Code-level coefficient reference

Code Book Path

Official

F40.2Specific (isolated) phobias F40.23Blood, injection, injury type phobia F40.230Fear of blood

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for F40.230. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official

symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)Inherited from F01-F99, F40.2
dysmorphophobia (nondelusional) (F45.22)Inherited from F01-F99, F40.2
nosophobia (F45.22)Inherited from F01-F99, F40.2

Related Codes

Official

F40.231Fear of injections and transfusions F40.232Fear of other medical care F40.233Fear of injury

Includes

Official

disorders of psychological developmentInherited from F01-F99

Excludes 1

Official

No Excludes 1 notes are included in this display for F40.230. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for F40.230. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for F40.230. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for F40.230. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance

Marked fear or anxiety specifically triggered by the sight of blood

History of vasovagal response or fainting episodes if applicable

Avoidance of medical procedures, blood draws, or situations involving blood

Duration of 6+ months

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance

Marked fear or anxiety specifically triggered by the sight of blood

History of vasovagal response or fainting episodes if applicable

Avoidance of medical procedures, blood draws, or situations involving blood

Duration of 6+ months

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance

Confusing blood phobia with needle phobia (F40.231) — these are distinct conditions though they can coexist

Failing to code both the phobia and any vasovagal syncope episodes separately when clinically appropriate

Not recognizing that blood phobia may be the underlying cause of a patient's noncompliance with blood work orders

Using F40.230 when the fear is actually about medical procedures in general rather than blood specifically

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance

F40.231 (Fear of injections and transfusions) — Injection phobia is about needles/medical procedures; blood phobia is specifically about seeing blood

F40.232 (Fear of other medical care) — Broader medical care avoidance may be distinct from specific blood phobia

F40.233 (Fear of injury) — Injury phobia involves fear of bodily harm; blood phobia is specifically triggered by blood itself

R55 (Syncope and collapse) — Code the underlying phobia when fainting is caused by hemophobia

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 F40.230 an HCC code?

F40.230 is not in the CMS-HCC V28 or V24 community payment model. F40.230 has a separate mapping under the Part D RxHCC model (HCC 133 (Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Disorders)); the applicable result needs member context.

Code: F40.230
Description: Fear of blood
HCC (V28): No CMS-HCC V28 mapping
RAF reference coefficient: —
Billable: Yes
Payment year: 2026

HCC Category Mapping

RxHCCHCC 133, Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Disorders

Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. 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 context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work F40.230 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for F40.230

For F40.230, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

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

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

F40.230 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for fear of blood. An intense fear of seeing blood that may cause fainting, avoidance of medical settings, or anxiety during injuries. F40.230 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders (f01-f99), within the section covering anxiety, dissociative, stress-related, somatoform and other nonpsychotic mental disorders (f40-f48).

F40.230 has no mapping under the CMS-HCC V28 or V24 community payment models. F40.230 has a separate mapping under the Part D RxHCC model (HCC 133 (Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Disorders)); the applicable result needs member context. Do not assign V28 risk adjustment value from this page; verify the applicable model and payment year before using this code for risk adjustment.

This is a blood-injection-injury type phobia.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for F40.230 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

•This is a blood-injection-injury type phobia
•Document whether the fear is of seeing blood, own blood, or others' blood

Clinical Significance

Fear of blood (hemophobia) is a blood-injection-injury subtype specific phobia characterized by intense fear or anxiety triggered by seeing blood. Unique among phobias, it can cause a vasovagal response leading to fainting, which is a safety concern. This phobia is clinically significant as it may cause patients to avoid necessary medical care including blood draws and surgical procedures.

Documentation Requirements

✓Marked fear or anxiety specifically triggered by the sight of blood
✓History of vasovagal response or fainting episodes if applicable
✓Avoidance of medical procedures, blood draws, or situations involving blood
✓Duration of 6+ months
✓Impact on healthcare access and medical compliance
✓Current management strategies (e.g., applied tension technique, desensitization)

Commonly Confused Codes

•F40.231 (Fear of injections and transfusions): Injection phobia is about needles/medical procedures; blood phobia is specifically about seeing blood
•F40.232 (Fear of other medical care): Broader medical care avoidance may be distinct from specific blood phobia
•F40.233 (Fear of injury): Injury phobia involves fear of bodily harm; blood phobia is specifically triggered by blood itself
•R55 (Syncope and collapse): Code the underlying phobia when fainting is caused by hemophobia