2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A68.9Relapsing fever, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A65-A69›A68

ICD-10-CM A68.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A68.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for relapsing fever, unspecified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 867 through 869. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Parasitic, other specified and unspecified infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A68.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Relapsing fever, unspecified
Short Description
Relapsing fever, unspecified
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 CodeA68.9Relapsing fever, unspecified

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Fever(inanition) (of unknown origin) (persistent) (with chills) (with rigor)
      • relapsing (Borrelia)
    • Fever(inanition) (of unknown origin) (persistent) (with chills) (with rigor)
      • relapsing (Borrelia)
        • Koch's
    • Koch's
      • relapsing fever
    • Novy's relapsing fever
    • Relapsing fever
    • Relapsing fever
      • Koch's
    • Relapsing fever
      • Spirillum

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

  • Ornithodoros

    a genus of softbacked ticks, in the family argasidae, serving as the vector of borrelia, causing relapsing fever, and of the african swine fever virus.

  • 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 A68.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
087.9 Relapsing fever NOS
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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About A68.9Overview

Is A68.9 (Relapsing fevers) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report relapsing fever, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A68.9 group to?

When relapsing fever, unspecified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 867, 868, 869, with relative weights from 0.7297 to 2.0932 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

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

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, relapsing fever, unspecified converts to ICD-9-CM 087.9 (relapsing fever NOS). The mapping is a direct match.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.