2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A68.1Tick-borne relapsing fever

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A65-A69›A68

ICD-10-CM A68.1
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

A68.1 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for tick-borne relapsing fever. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 867 through 869. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 56 closely related codes. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Parasitic, other specified and unspecified infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A68.1
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Tick-borne relapsing fever
Short Description
Tick-borne relapsing fever
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A68
Relapsing fevers

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA65-A69Other spirochetal diseases
CategoryA68Relapsing fevers
This CodeA68.1Tick-borne relapsing fever

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Boutonneuse fever
  • Infection caused by Borrelia caucasica
  • Infection caused by Borrelia duttonii
  • Infection caused by Borrelia hermsii
  • Infection caused by Borrelia hispanica
  • Infection caused by Borrelia latyschewii
  • Infection caused by Borrelia mazzottii
  • Infection caused by Borrelia miyamotoi
  • Infection caused by Borrelia parkeri
  • Infection caused by Borrelia persica
  • Infection caused by Borrelia venezuelensis
  • Intermediate lesion of pinta
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia caucasica
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia duttonii
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia hermsii
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia hispanica
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia latyschewii
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia mazzottii
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia miyamotoi
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia parkeri
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia persica
  • Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia venezuelensis
  • Relapsing fever of North Africa
  • Relapsing fever of Southwest U.S. AND/OR Mexico
  • South African tick-bite fever
  • Tick-borne relapsing fever

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to A68.1: its own notes plus those printed at A68, block A65-A69, and Chapter 1. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Includes

Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.

From A68 Relapsing fevers applies to 3 codes
  • recurrent fever
From Chapter 1 (A00-B99) Certain infectious and parasitic diseases applies to 1,068 codes
  • diseases generally recognized as communicable or transmissible

Applicable To

Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.

  • Relapsing fever due to any Borrelia species other than Borrelia recurrentis

Excludes2

Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.

From A68 Relapsing fevers applies to 3 codes
From Block A65-A69 Other spirochetal diseases applies to 28 codes
From Chapter 1 (A00-B99) Certain infectious and parasitic diseases applies to 1,068 codes
  • carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
  • certain localized infections - see body system-related chapters
  • infectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-)
  • infectious and parasitic diseases specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)
  • influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From Chapter 1 (A00-B99) Certain infectious and parasitic diseases applies to 1,068 codes
  • code to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR INF009
Parasitic, other specified and unspecified infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever

    an infection that is caused by certain species of rickettsia or borrelia, which are transmitted to humans from infected ticks; it is characterized by sudden fever, chills, headaches, myalgia, arthralgia, nausea, and possibly a rash. symptoms usually persist for two to nine days, then disappear, with recurrence after several weeks if the patient remains untreated.

  • Relapsing Fever

    an acute infection characterized by recurrent episodes of pyrexia alternating with asymptomatic intervals of apparent recovery. this condition is caused by spirochetes of the genus borrelia. it is transmitted by the bites of either the body louse (pediculus humanus corporis), for which humans are the reservoir, or by soft ticks of the genus ornithodoros, for which rodents and other animals are the principal reservoirs.

Patient EducationClinical

Bacterial Infections

Bacteria are tiny organisms (living things) that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They can be found almost everywhere on Earth. There are lots of bacteria in and on your body. In fact, your body has about 10 times more bacteria cells than human cells.

The full article covers:

  • What are bacteria?
  • How do bacterial infections spread?
  • What are the treatments for bacterial infections?
  • Can bacterial infections be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert A68.1 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
087.1 Tick-borne relaps fever
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About A68.1Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for tick-borne relapsing fever?

The ICD-10-CM code for tick-borne relapsing fever is A68.1 (sometimes written as A681). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is A68.1 (Relapsing fevers) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report tick-borne relapsing fever on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does A68.1 group to?

When tick-borne relapsing fever is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 867, 869, 868, with relative weights from 0.6784 to 2.1855 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is A68.1 a CC or MCC?

CMS lists A68.1 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 56 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A68.1?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, tick-borne relapsing fever converts to ICD-9-CM 087.1 (tick-borne relaps fever). The mapping is a direct match.