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I48.19 ICD-10-CM Code: Other persistent atrial fibrillation

ICD-10-CM Code View

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

I48.19

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

Other persistent atrial fibrillation

A persistent irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart that continues beyond the initial episode but is not longstanding or permanent.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Other persistent atrial fibrillation indicates continuous atrial fibrillation that does not self-terminate but has not been present long enough to be classified as longstanding.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 238

RAF 0.299

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 96

RAF 0.268

ACA/HHS

HCC 142

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

HCC 96

RAF 0.049

RXHCC

HCC 193

RAF 0.215

Code Book Path

Official
I48Atrial fibrillation and flutter
I48.1Persistent atrial fibrillation
I48.19Other persistent atrial fibrillation

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Chronic persistent atrial fibrillation
  • Persistent atrial fibrillation, NOS

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for I48.19 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
I48.11Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for I48.19 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official
  • Permanent atrial fibrillation (I48.21)

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for I48.19 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for I48.19 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for I48.19 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation
Duration of continuous atrial fibrillation documented
Electrocardiogram or monitoring confirmation
Documentation that the atrial fibrillation is not self-terminating

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation
Duration of continuous atrial fibrillation documented
Electrocardiogram or monitoring confirmation
Documentation that the atrial fibrillation is not self-terminating

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Not distinguishing persistent from paroxysmal — persistent does not self-terminate
Using longstanding persistent (I48.11) without documenting 12+ months of continuous atrial fibrillation
Defaulting to unspecified atrial fibrillation when the persistent pattern is documented
Confusing persistent atrial fibrillation with persistent atrial flutter — different conditions

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
I48.0 — Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; self-terminating, not persistent
I48.11 — Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation; continuous for greater than 12 months
I48.21 — Permanent atrial fibrillation; rhythm control abandoned
I48.91 — Unspecified atrial fibrillation; use only when the pattern cannot be determined

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 I48.19 an HCC code?

Yes. I48.19 (Other persistent atrial fibrillation) maps to Specified Heart Arrhythmias under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Specified Heart Arrhythmias under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.299. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: I48.19 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
I48.19
Description
Other persistent atrial fibrillation
HCC (V28)
HCC 238 — Specified Heart Arrhythmias
RAF
0.299
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 238, Specified Heart Arrhythmias
0.299
V24HCC 96, Specified Heart Arrhythmias
0.268
ESRDHCC 96, Specified Heart Arrhythmias
0.049
RxHCCHCC 193, Specified Heart Arrhythmias
0.215

Each model's RAF is its CMS base weight for that model's standard population, so 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 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 I48.19 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for I48.19

For I48.19 to 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 I48.19 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

I48.19 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other persistent atrial fibrillation. A persistent irregular heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart that continues beyond the initial episode but is not longstanding or permanent. I48.19 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, I48.19 maps to Specified Heart Arrhythmias (HCC 238) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.299. Under the older V24 model, I48.19 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.268, V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. V28 is the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model that reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition.

Other persistent AFib, continuous AFib lasting > 7 days but < 12 months, or persistent AFib not otherwise specified. Provider must document persistent chronicity and absence of the 'longstanding' (>12 month) duration. Because I48.19 maps to a payment HCC, the provider's documentation must satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's Medicare Advantage risk adjustment score. 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, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for I48.19 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Other persistent AFib, continuous AFib lasting > 7 days but < 12 months, or persistent AFib not otherwise specified. Provider must document persistent chronicity and absence of the 'longstanding' (>12 month) duration.
  • Do not default to I48.19 when I48.11 (longstanding persistent) or I48.21 (permanent) is supported by the narrative. The chronicity codes form a progression and coders should match the current clinical status.
  • V28 HCC 238 at RAF 0.299. Same HCC as other AFib chronicities.

Clinical Significance

Other persistent atrial fibrillation indicates continuous atrial fibrillation that does not self-terminate but has not been present long enough to be classified as longstanding. This typically represents atrial fibrillation lasting more than 7 days but less than 12 months. Treatment may include cardioversion attempts and rhythm control strategies in addition to anticoagulation.

Documentation Requirements

  • Provider diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation
  • Duration of continuous atrial fibrillation documented
  • Electrocardiogram or monitoring confirmation
  • Documentation that the atrial fibrillation is not self-terminating
  • Treatment strategy (rhythm control, cardioversion plans, anticoagulation)

Commonly Confused Codes

  • I48.0: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; self-terminating, not persistent
  • I48.11: Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation; continuous for greater than 12 months
  • I48.21: Permanent atrial fibrillation; rhythm control abandoned
  • I48.91: Unspecified atrial fibrillation; use only when the pattern cannot be determined

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

I48.19 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.

Because I48.19 maps to a payment HCC, the documentation must also satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's risk adjustment score.

I48.19 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 238, Specified Heart Arrhythmias. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. Because I48.19 carries a payment HCC, you can see what it adds to a RAF score and check the documentation the chart needs before it is submitted.

More on I48.19

Related condition guides

Referenced in blog posts

Work I48.19 in HCC Buddy

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