Z16.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Resistance to other antibiotics

Z16.2 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for resistance to other antibiotics. Z16.2 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for factors influencing health status and contact with health services (z00-z99), within the section covering resistance to antimicrobial drugs (z16).

Header codes like Z16.2 cannot be reported on claims directly, they organize child codes that share clinical context but the actual diagnosis must be coded to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation. Coders should look at Z16.2's child codes and select the one that matches the patient's documented presentation, since payers reject header codes submitted as the primary diagnosis. For risk adjustment workflows, header codes never contribute to a Medicare Advantage member's RAF score on their own; only billable child codes that happen to map to a payment HCC affect risk-adjusted plan payments.