2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F79Unspecified intellectual disabilities

ICD-10-CM Codes›F01–F99›F70-F79›F79

ICD-10-CM F79
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

F79 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified intellectual disabilities. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 884. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Neurodevelopmental disorders.

F79 does not risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage under the CMS-HCC V28 model. It still risk-adjusts in the RxHCC Part D (V08) category 148 for payment year 2027.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
F79
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified intellectual disabilities
Short Description
Unspecified intellectual disabilities
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Chapter
F70-F79
Intellectual disabilities

Code Classification

ChapterF01–F99Mental and behavioural disorders
SectionF70-F79Intellectual disabilities
CategoryF79Unspecified intellectual disabilities
This CodeF79Unspecified intellectual disabilities

Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing

F79 does not risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage under the CMS-HCC V28 model, but it maps to payment categories in the other CMS models shown below.

CMS-HCC V28 (Medicare Advantage Payment Model)
Not mapped
no payment category in the model that pays 100% of MA risk scores
Prior Model (CMS-HCC V24)
Not mapped under V24
this diagnosis newly risk-adjusts under the V28 model
Part D (RxHCC)
RxHCC 148 — Mild or Unspecified Intellectual Disability/Developmental Disorder
also risk-adjusts in the Part D prescription drug model (V08)

Source: CMS Payment Year 2027 risk adjustment mappings and model software. Weights are relative factors, not dollar amounts; a beneficiary's total RAF also includes demographics and interactions. Browse all CMS-HCC categories.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • 11p partial monosomy syndrome
  • ADNP-related multiple congenital anomalies, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder
  • Arachnodactyly
  • Arachnodactyly and intellectual disability with facial dysmorphism syndrome
  • Arachnodactyly with abnormal ossification and intellectual disability syndrome
  • Athetoid cerebral palsy
  • Below average intellect
  • Blepharophimosis, intellectual disability syndrome
  • Blood magnesium below reference range
  • Blood magnesium outside reference range
  • Brachycephaly
  • Brachydactyly, mesomelia, intellectual disability, heart defect syndrome
  • Brain malformations, musculoskeletal abnormalities, facial dysmorphism, intellectual disability syndrome
  • Combined malformation of central nervous system and skeletal muscle
  • Congenital dysplasia of radius
  • Congenital hepatic fibrosis
  • Congenital nuclear ophthalmoplegia
  • Congenital plicated tongue
  • Cryptorchidism, arachnodactyly, intellectual disability syndrome
  • Deletion of part of chromosome 11
  • Deletion of part of chromosome 21
  • Disorder of sex development with intellectual disability syndrome
  • DYRK1A-related intellectual disability syndrome
  • DYRK1A-related intellectual disability syndrome due to 21q22.13q22.2 microdeletion
  • Dyskinetic cerebral palsy
  • Genetic syndromic childhood obesity
  • Hepatic fibrosis, renal cyst, intellectual disability syndrome
  • Hypertelorism
  • Hypogonadism with mitral valve prolapse and intellectual disability syndrome
  • Intellectual disability
  • Intellectual disability due to nutritional deficiency
  • Intellectual disability Wolff type
  • Intellectual disability, brachydactyly, Pierre Robin syndrome
  • Intellectual disability, congenital heart disease, blepharophimosis, blepharoptosis and hypoplastic teeth
  • Intellectual disability, craniofacial dysmorphism, hypogonadism, diabetes mellitus syndrome
  • Intellectual disability, feeding difficulties, developmental delay, microcephaly syndrome
  • Intellectual disability, polydactyly, uncombable hair syndrome
  • Intellectual disability, seizures, macrocephaly, obesity syndrome
  • Intellectual disability, severe speech delay, mild dysmorphism syndrome
  • Intellectual disability, short stature, hypertelorism syndrome
  • Intellectual functioning disability
  • Kagami Ogata syndrome
  • Low intelligence
  • Mesomelic dysplasia of upper limb
  • Microcephaly, seizure, intellectual disability, heart disease syndrome
  • Micromelia
  • Non-spastic cerebral palsy
  • Ophthalmoplegia, intellectual disability, lingua scrotalis syndrome
  • Osteogenesis imperfecta, retinopathy, seizures, intellectual disability syndrome
  • Paralysis of tongue
  • Pervasive developmental disorder with disorder of intellectual development with loss of previously acquired skills
  • Pervasive developmental disorder with disorder of intellectual development without loss of previously acquired skills
  • Plicated tongue
  • Polyneuropathy, intellectual disability, acromicria, premature menopause syndrome
  • Premature ovarian insufficiency
  • Primary hypomagnesemia, generalized seizures, intellectual disability, obesity syndrome
  • Robin sequence
  • Severe microbrachycephaly, intellectual disability, athetoid cerebral palsy syndrome
  • WAGR syndrome
  • White matter hypoplasia, corpus callosum agenesis, intellectual disability syndrome
  • White Sutton syndrome

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to F79: its own notes plus those printed at block F70-F79 and Chapter 5. 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 Chapter 5 (F01-F99) Mental and behavioural disorders applies to 872 codes
  • disorders of psychological development

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.

  • Mental deficiency NOS
  • Mental subnormality NOS

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From Block F70-F79 Intellectual disabilities applies to 7 codes
  • borderline intellectual functioning, IQ above 70 to 84 (R41.83)

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 Chapter 5 (F01-F99) Mental and behavioural disorders applies to 872 codes
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Code First

The underlying condition named in the note is sequenced before this code.

From Block F70-F79 Intellectual disabilities applies to 7 codes
  • any associated physical or developmental disorders

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

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name F79, its category, or a range that includes it.

Applicable To 1

These notes mention F79.

  • Z81.0 Family history of intellectual disabilities
    Conditions classifiable to F70-F79 names F70-F79, which includes this code

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming F79: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • R41.83 Borderline intellectual functioning
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code

Excludes2 4

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming F79: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • F80.0 Phonological disorder
    speech articulation impairment due to intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • F80.1 Expressive language disorder
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • F80.2 Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • F82 Specific developmental disorder of motor function
    lack of coordination secondary to intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code

Code First 1

These codes say to code first a condition named in the note, and F79 is one of the conditions named.

  • Z91.83 Wandering in diseases classified elsewhere
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code

Use Additional Code 5

These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and F79 is one of the codes named.

  • E00 Congenital iodine-deficiency syndrome
    code (F70-F79) to identify associated intellectual disabilities. names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • Q87.87 Hao-Fountain Syndrome
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • Q87.88 CTNNB1 syndrome
    intellectual disability (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • Q90 Down syndrome
    code(s) to identify any associated degree of intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • Q93.52 Phelan-McDermid syndrome
    degree of intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code

Code Also 4

These codes say F79 may also be needed to fully describe the condition. The note gives no sequencing direction.

  • G93.45 Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • Q87.85 MED13L syndrome
    intellectual disability (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • QA0 Neurodevelopmental disorders related to specific genetic pathogenic variants
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code
  • Z15.1 Genetic susceptibility to epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders
    intellectual disabilities (F70-F79) names F70-F79, which includes this code

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 MBD014
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disabilities are conditions that are usually present at birth. They can affect a child's growth and development. These conditions can cause physical, learning, language, or behavior issues. They can include:

The full article covers:

  • What are developmental disabilities?
  • What causes developmental disabilities?
  • How are developmental disabilities diagnosed?
  • What are the treatments for developmental disabilities?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert F79 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
319 Intellect disability NOS
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

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 F79Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified intellectual disabilities?

The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified intellectual disabilities is F79. It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is F79 (Unspecified intellectual disabilities) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does F79 group to?

When unspecified intellectual disabilities is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 884 (organic Disturbances and Intellectual Disability), which carries a relative weight of 1.5998. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can F79 be reported with R41.83?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at block F70-F79, which applies to F79, lists "borderline intellectual functioning, IQ above 70 to 84 (R41.83)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of F79?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified intellectual disabilities converts to ICD-9-CM 319 (intellect disability NOS). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Does F79 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?

Not for Medicare Advantage: F79 maps to no category in the CMS-HCC V28 model. It still risk-adjusts in the RxHCC Part D (V08) category 148 (Mild or Unspecified Intellectual Disability/Developmental Disorder).