2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R15.9Full incontinence of feces

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R10-R19›R15

ICD-10-CM R15.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

R15.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for full incontinence of feces. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 391 through 392. As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R15.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Full incontinence of feces
Short Description
Full incontinence of feces
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R15
Fecal incontinence

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR10-R19Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen
CategoryR15Fecal incontinence
This CodeR15.9Full incontinence of feces

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Abnormal defecation
  • Alteration in bowel elimination
  • Bowels: occasional accident
  • Childhood double incontinence
  • Complete fecal incontinence
  • Desire for stool finding
  • Digestive symptom
  • Double incontinence
  • Encopresis
  • Encopresis with constipation AND overflow incontinence
  • Fecal fluid leakage
  • Fecal incontinence due to anorectal disorder
  • Fecal incontinence following creation of ileo-anal pouch
  • Finding of urinary bladder control
  • Finding related to awareness of bowel function
  • Frequent fecal incontinence
  • Functional fecal incontinence
  • Idiopathic fecal incontinence
  • Incontinence of feces
  • Integrity of anal sphincter - finding
  • Lacking desire for stool
  • Loss of awareness of need for stool
  • Neuromyopathic fecal incontinence
  • Non-retentive fecal incontinence
  • Primary organic encopresis
  • Secondary organic encopresis
  • Soiling
  • Soiling symptom
  • Sphincter ani incontinence
  • Spurious diarrhea - overflow
  • Unable to distinguish stool and flatus
  • Unaware of passing feces

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Fecal incontinence NOS

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.

    • Encopresis
    • Fecal
      • incontinence
    • Incontinence
      • anal sphincter
    • Incontinence
      • feces
    • Incontinence
      • rectal
    • Loss(of)
      • control, sphincter, rectum

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR SYM006
Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Encopresis

    incontinence of feces not due to organic defect or illness.

  • Encopresis

    an elimination disorder characterized by fecal incontinence, whether involuntary or intentional, which is not due to a medical condition and which occurs in someone who is toilet trained.

Patient EducationClinical

Bowel Incontinence

Bowel incontinence is the inability to control your bowels. When you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, you may not be able to hold it until you get to a toilet. Millions of Americans have this problem. It affects people of all ages - children and adults. It is more common in women and older adults. It is not a normal part of aging.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert R15.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
787.60 Full incontinence-feces
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 R15.9Overview

Is R15.9 (Fecal incontinence) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does R15.9 group to?

When full incontinence of feces is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 391, 392, with relative weights from 0.7796 to 1.2683 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can R15.9 be a principal diagnosis?

Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the full incontinence of feces is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R15.9?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, full incontinence of feces converts to ICD-9-CM 787.60 (full incontinence-feces). 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.