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F43.29 ICD-10-CM Code: Adjustment disorder with other symptoms

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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)

F43.29

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

Adjustment disorder with other symptoms

This code describes a condition where a person experiences emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a specific stressful life event, but the symptoms don't fit into other adjustment disorder categories. The symptoms typically develop within three months of the stressful event and are more severe than would be expected.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Adjustment disorder with other symptoms is used when the reactive symptoms to a stressor do not fit the standard subtypes (depressed mood, anxiety, mixed, conduct disturbance, or mixed emotions and conduct).

CMS-HCC V28

0

0

RAF 0

CMS-HCC V24

0

0

RAF 0

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

0

0

RAF 0

RXHCC

HCC 133

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official
F43Reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders
F43.2Adjustment disorders
F43.29Adjustment disorder with other symptoms

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Culture shock
  • Grief reaction
  • Hospitalism in children

Excludes 2

Official
  • separation anxiety disorder of childhood (F93.0)

Related Child Codes

Official
F43.20Adjustment disorder, unspecified
F43.21Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
F43.22Adjustment disorder with anxiety
F43.23Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood
F43.24Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for F43.29 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for F43.29 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for F43.29 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for F43.29 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for F43.29 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Identifiable stressor documented
Specific symptoms that do not fit standard adjustment disorder subtypes described
Symptom onset within 3 months of the stressor
Symptoms do not meet criteria for another specific mental disorder

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Identifiable stressor documented
Specific symptoms that do not fit standard adjustment disorder subtypes described
Symptom onset within 3 months of the stressor
Symptoms do not meet criteria for another specific mental disorder

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Defaulting to F43.20 (unspecified) when symptoms are described but simply atypical — use F43.29 instead
Using F43.29 when a standard subtype actually applies
Not specifying the nature of the 'other symptoms' in documentation
Failing to document the precipitating stressor

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
F43.20 (Adjustment disorder, unspecified) — F43.29 is 'other specified symptoms'; F43.20 is 'unspecified' — use F43.29 when symptoms are described but do not fit standard subtypes
F43.21-F43.25 — Use standard subtypes when symptoms match depressed mood, anxiety, mixed, or conduct disturbance
F45.1 (Undifferentiated somatoform disorder) — If somatic complaints are the primary response to a stressor, distinguish from somatoform disorder

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 F43.29 an HCC code?

No. F43.29 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any HCC category in V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC.

HCC Category Mapping

RxHCCHCC 133, Personality Disorders, Anxiety, and Other Specified Mental 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.

Work F43.29 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for F43.29

For F43.29to 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 F43.29 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

F43.29 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for adjustment disorder with other symptoms. This code describes a condition where a person experiences emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a specific stressful life event, but the symptoms don't fit into other adjustment disorder categories. The symptoms typically develop within three months of the stressful event and are more severe than would be expected. F43.29 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).

F43.29 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to a payment HCC under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions but it does not contribute to a beneficiary's RAF score and therefore does not affect risk-adjusted payments to the plan.

F43.29 does not map to any HCC under V24 or V28. No ESRD mapping. RxHCC maps to RxHCC 133 at 0.0 weight. Non-risk-adjusting diagnosis. Coders reviewing F43.29 should check whether additional documentation would support a more specific child code in the same hierarchy that does map to a payment HCC, capturing the correct specificity is the highest-impact RAF improvement available within accurate coding.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for F43.29 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Always identify and document the specific stressor or triggering event in the medical record, as this is essential for accurate coding of adjustment disorders
  • Use this code only when symptoms don't meet criteria for other adjustment disorder subtypes (like with depressed mood, anxiety, or disturbance of conduct); if symptoms are more specific, use the appropriate subtype instead

Clinical Significance

Adjustment disorder with other symptoms is used when the reactive symptoms to a stressor do not fit the standard subtypes (depressed mood, anxiety, mixed, conduct disturbance, or mixed emotions and conduct). This may include somatic complaints, social withdrawal, or work/academic inhibition as the predominant response to the stressor.

Documentation Requirements

  • Identifiable stressor documented
  • Specific symptoms that do not fit standard adjustment disorder subtypes described
  • Symptom onset within 3 months of the stressor
  • Symptoms do not meet criteria for another specific mental disorder
  • Functional impairment or marked distress
  • Current treatment approach

Commonly Confused Codes

  • F43.20 (Adjustment disorder, unspecified): F43.29 is 'other specified symptoms'; F43.20 is 'unspecified': use F43.29 when symptoms are described but do not fit standard subtypes
  • F43.21-F43.25: Use standard subtypes when symptoms match depressed mood, anxiety, mixed, or conduct disturbance
  • F45.1 (Undifferentiated somatoform disorder): If somatic complaints are the primary response to a stressor, distinguish from somatoform disorder

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

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