I10
BillableEssential (primary) hypertension
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is I10 an HCC code?
No. I10 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any HCC category in V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC.
HCC Category Mapping
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 I10
For I10to 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 I10 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
I10 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for essential (primary) hypertension. High blood pressure that develops without an identifiable secondary cause, also known as primary hypertension. This is the most common type of high blood pressure. I10 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the circulatory system (i00-i99), within the section covering hypertensive diseases (i10-i1a).
I10 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.
Maps to RxHCC 187 (Hypertension) with a RAF weight of 0.000 in the prescription drug model. Essential hypertension does NOT map to any CMS-HCC under v28, v24, or ESRD models. While it carries no direct RAF weight in the major risk adjustment models, it is critically important as a component of combination codes (I11-I13) that DO map to HCCs. Always evaluate whether hypertensive heart disease or hypertensive kidney disease combination codes are more appropriate.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for I10 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
Clinical Significance
Essential hypertension is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States, serving as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure. While it does not map to a CMS-HCC category, it is a critical comorbidity that influences treatment complexity and is foundational for many combination codes involving hypertensive heart and kidney disease.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Provider documentation of hypertension diagnosis (not just an elevated blood pressure reading)
- ✓Current blood pressure reading
- ✓Assessment of whether hypertension is controlled or uncontrolled
- ✓Current antihypertensive medication regimen
- ✓Evaluation for end-organ damage (cardiac, renal, cerebrovascular)
- ✓If heart disease or chronic kidney disease is present, document whether the conditions are related to hypertension
Includes
- high blood pressure
- hypertension (arterial) (benign) (essential) (malignant) (primary) (systemic)
Excludes 1 — Do NOT code together
Excludes 2 — Not included here, may code separately
Commonly Confused Codes
- •I11.0 — Hypertensive heart disease with heart failure (use when hypertension and heart failure coexist — per ICD-10 guidelines, a causal relationship is assumed)
- •I11.9 — Hypertensive heart disease without heart failure (use when hypertension coexists with heart disease)
- •I12.0 / I12.9 — Hypertensive chronic kidney disease (use when hypertension and CKD coexist — causal relationship is assumed)
- •I13.x — Hypertensive heart and chronic kidney disease (use when all three conditions coexist)
- •I15.x — Secondary hypertension (use when hypertension has an identifiable cause)
- •R03.0 — Elevated blood pressure reading (use for an incidental finding, not a diagnosis of hypertension)