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I48.11 ICD-10-CM Code: Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation

I48.11 maps to CMS-HCC V28 238. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC coding software

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Code lookupI48.11

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99) / Other forms of heart disease (I30-I5A)

I48.11

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

Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation

A persistent irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart that has been present for more than one week but less than one year.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation has been present continuously for more than 12 months and represents a more advanced stage of the arrhythmia progression.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 238

Code-level coefficient reference

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 142

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 96

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

HCC 193

Code-level coefficient reference

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for I48.11. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from I00-I99
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from I00-I99
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from I00-I99
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from I00-I99
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from I00-I99
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from I00-I99
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from I00-I99
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from I00-I99
  • systemic connective tissue disorders (M30-M36)Inherited from I00-I99
  • transient cerebral ischemic attacks and related syndromes (G45.-)Inherited from I00-I99

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for I48.11. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official
  • Permanent atrial fibrillation (I48.21)Inherited from I48.1

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for I48.11. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for I48.11. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for I48.11. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation of longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation
Duration of continuous atrial fibrillation documented (greater than 12 months)
Electrocardiogram or monitoring confirmation
Decision regarding rhythm vs rate control strategy documented

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider documentation of longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation
Duration of continuous atrial fibrillation documented (greater than 12 months)
Electrocardiogram or monitoring confirmation
Decision regarding rhythm vs rate control strategy documented

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Confusing longstanding persistent with permanent — permanent implies acceptance that rhythm control will not be attempted
Not documenting the duration of continuous atrial fibrillation to support the longstanding designation
Using unspecified chronic atrial fibrillation (I48.20) when longstanding persistent is specifically documented
Failing to distinguish from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which has self-terminating episodes

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
I48.19 — Other persistent atrial fibrillation; persistent but not meeting longstanding criteria (less than 12 months)
I48.21 — Permanent atrial fibrillation; decision made to no longer pursue rhythm control
I48.0 — Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; self-terminating episodes, not continuous
I48.20 — Chronic atrial fibrillation, unspecified; less specific chronic classification

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 I48.11 an HCC code?

Yes. I48.11 (Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation) maps to HCC 238, Specified Heart Arrhythmias under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.299. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: I48.11 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 238, Specified Heart Arrhythmias. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
I48.11
Description
Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation
HCC (V28)
HCC 238 — Specified Heart Arrhythmias
RAF reference coefficient
0.299
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 238, Specified Heart Arrhythmias
0.299
ESRDHCC 96, Specified Heart Arrhythmias
Not separately weighted
RxHCCHCC 193, Atrial Arrhythmias
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 I48.11 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for I48.11

For I48.11, 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

I48.11 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation. A persistent irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart that has been present for more than one week but less than one year. I48.11 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the circulatory system (i00-i99), within the section covering other forms of heart disease (i30-i5a).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, I48.11 maps to Specified Heart Arrhythmias (HCC 238) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.299. No V24 mapping is shown for I48.11; use the applicable model and payment year when reviewing the V28 mapping. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Longstanding persistent AFib requires documentation of continuous AFib > 12 months with a rhythm-control strategy still in play (e.g., cardioversion planning, antiarrhythmic trial). The provider must distinguish this from permanent AFib. For I48.11, 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. 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, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for I48.11 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Longstanding persistent AFib requires documentation of continuous AFib > 12 months with a rhythm-control strategy still in play (e.g., cardioversion planning, antiarrhythmic trial). The provider must distinguish this from permanent AFib.
  • Do not confuse I48.11 with I48.21. The distinction is clinical intent, I48.11 means the provider still aims to restore sinus rhythm; I48.21 means sinus restoration is no longer pursued.
  • Accurate chronicity coding supports the narrative that the patient has sustained arrhythmia burden, useful in audit defense even though HCC is unchanged.

Clinical Significance

Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation has been present continuously for more than 12 months and represents a more advanced stage of the arrhythmia progression. Patients with this duration are less likely to respond to rhythm control strategies and often have more extensive atrial remodeling. This classification guides treatment decisions toward rate control and ongoing anticoagulation.

Documentation Requirements

  • Provider documentation of longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation
  • Duration of continuous atrial fibrillation documented (greater than 12 months)
  • Electrocardiogram or monitoring confirmation
  • Decision regarding rhythm vs rate control strategy documented
  • Anticoagulation status and stroke risk assessment

Commonly Confused Codes

  • I48.19: Other persistent atrial fibrillation; persistent but not meeting longstanding criteria (less than 12 months)
  • I48.21: Permanent atrial fibrillation; decision made to no longer pursue rhythm control
  • I48.0: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; self-terminating episodes, not continuous
  • I48.20: Chronic atrial fibrillation, unspecified; less specific chronic classification

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

I48.11 code history

Code setChange
FY2020 (effective Oct 1, 2019)Added to the code set

Source: official CMS ICD-10-CM order and addenda files, FY2016 through FY2027.

For I48.11, 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.

I48.11 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 238, Specified Heart Arrhythmias. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for I48.11. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

More on I48.11

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