2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code D51Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
D51 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as D51.0, D51.1, D51.2, and D51.3.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Specific Coding for Vitamin B12 deficiency anemiaOverview
Non-specific codes like D51 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:
Use D51.0 for Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to intrinsic factor deficiency
Use D51.1 for Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to selective vitamin B12 malabsorption with proteinuria
Use D51.2 for Transcobalamin II deficiency
Use D51.3 for Other dietary vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Use D51.8 for Other vitamin B12 deficiency anemias
Use D51.9 for Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, unspecified
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Type 1 Excludes
- vitamin B12 deficiency E53.8
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
Patient EducationClinical
Anemia
If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About D51Overview
Is D51 (Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia) a billable code?
No. This is a category header that groups the codes for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia need a more specific code from this category, such as D51.0, D51.1, and D51.2.
