F40.298 ICD-10-CM Code: Other specified phobia
F40.298 is not a CMS-HCC payment code. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC coding software
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FY 2026 Apr update / Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders (F01-F99) / Anxiety, dissociative, stress-related, somatoform and other nonpsychotic mental disorders (F40-F48)
F40.298
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidanceOther specified phobia
An intense, irrational fear of specific objects or situations not otherwise specified, such as fear of animals, blood, or medical procedures.
Buddy Insight
Other specified phobia is a residual category for specific phobias that do not fit into the animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, or situational subtypes, and do not have their own specific ICD-10-CM code.
CMS-HCC V28
N/A—
Not mapped
CMS-HCC V24
HistoricalHistorical
Not used for CY2026 payment
ACA/HHS
N/A—
Not mapped
ESRD/PACE
N/A—
Not mapped
RXHCC
MappedHCC 133
Code-level coefficient reference
Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
OfficialNo inclusion terms are included in this display for F40.298. 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
Includes
Official- disorders of psychological developmentInherited from F01-F99
Excludes 1
OfficialNo Excludes 1 notes are included in this display for F40.298. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.
Code First
OfficialNo Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for F40.298. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.
Use Additional
OfficialNo Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for F40.298. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.
Code Also
OfficialNo Code Also instructions are included in this display for F40.298. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.
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 F40.298 an HCC code?
F40.298 has no mapping under the current CMS-HCC V28 community payment model. F40.298 has a separate mapping under the Part D RxHCC model (HCC 133 (Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Disorders)); the applicable result needs member context.
- Code
- F40.298
- Description
- Other specified phobia
- HCC (V28)
- No CMS-HCC V28 mapping
- RAF reference coefficient
- —
- Billable
- Yes
- Payment year
- 2026
HCC Category Mapping
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 F40.298 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →
MEAT review for F40.298
For F40.298, 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
F40.298 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other specified phobia. An intense, irrational fear of specific objects or situations not otherwise specified, such as fear of animals, blood, or medical procedures. F40.298 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).
F40.298 has no mapping under the current CMS-HCC V28 community payment model. F40.298 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.
Use this code when the phobia does not fit into other specific F40.2 categories.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for F40.298 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Use this code when the phobia does not fit into other specific F40.2 categories
- •Document the specific object or situation that triggers the fear
Clinical Significance
Other specified phobia is a residual category for specific phobias that do not fit into the animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, or situational subtypes, and do not have their own specific ICD-10-CM code. Examples include fear of choking (phagophobia), fear of vomiting (emetophobia), or fear of costumed characters. These phobias can cause significant functional impairment.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Specific phobic stimulus clearly identified in documentation
- ✓Marked fear or anxiety disproportionate to actual danger
- ✓Consistent anxiety response upon exposure or anticipation
- ✓Active avoidance or endurance with intense distress
- ✓Duration of 6+ months
- ✓Clinically significant distress or functional impairment
Commonly Confused Codes
- •F40.9 (Phobic anxiety disorder, unspecified): Use F40.298 when the phobic stimulus is specified but does not match a named code; use F40.9 only when truly unspecified
- •F40.8 (Other phobic anxiety disorders): F40.8 covers phobic disorders not classified as specific phobias (e.g., social phobia NEC); F40.298 is for specific phobias of unnamed stimuli
- •F45.22 (Body dysmorphic disorder): Fear of appearance defects is body dysmorphia, not a specific phobia