2021 ICD-10-CM Code R47.9
Unspecified speech disturbances
Valid for Submission
R47.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of unspecified speech disturbances. The code R47.9 is valid during the fiscal year 2021 from October 01, 2020 through September 30, 2021 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions.
The ICD-10-CM code R47.9 might also be used to specify conditions or terms like dissociative neurological symptom disorder co-occurrent with symptom of speech production, disturbance in speech, has difficulty with speech, o/e - communication, o/e - speech defect , speech dysfunction, etc.
Unspecified diagnosis codes like R47.9 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.
According to ICD-10-CM guidelines this code should not to be used as a principal diagnosis code when a related definitive diagnosis has been established.
| ICD-10: | R47.9 |
| Short Description: | Unspecified speech disturbances |
| Long Description: | Unspecified speech disturbances |
Code Classification
Index to Diseases and Injuries
The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10 code(s). The following references for the code R47.9 are found in the index:
- - Disorder (of) - See Also: Disease;
- - speech - R47.9
- - Disturbance (s) - See Also: Disease;
- - speech - R47.9
- - Impediment, speech - See Also: Disorder, speech; - R47.9
- - Speech
- - defect, disorder, disturbance, impediment - See: Disorder, speech; - R47.9
Approximate Synonyms
The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:
- Dissociative neurological symptom disorder co-occurrent with symptom of speech production
- Disturbance in speech
- Has difficulty with speech
- O/E - communication
- O/E - speech defect
- Speech dysfunction
- Speech problem
- Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia Cantu type
Convert R47.9 to ICD-9 Code
The General Equivalency Mapping (GEM) crosswalk indicates an approximate mapping between the ICD-10 code R47.9 its ICD-9 equivalent. The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 code and the ICD-9 code and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.
- 784.59 - Speech disturbance NEC (Approximate Flag)
Information for Patients
Speech and Communication Disorders
Also called: Communication disorders
Many disorders can affect our ability to speak and communicate. They range from saying sounds incorrectly to being completely unable to speak or understand speech. Causes include
- Hearing disorders and deafness
- Voice problems, such as dysphonia or those caused by cleft lip or palate
- Speech problems like stuttering
- Developmental disabilities
- Learning disabilities
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Brain injury
- Stroke
Some speech and communication problems may be genetic. Often, no one knows the causes. By first grade, about 5 percent of children have noticeable speech disorders. Speech and language therapy can help.
NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- Apraxia (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Dysarthria (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Phonological disorder (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Selective mutism (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Speech impairment (adult) (Medical Encyclopedia)
[Learn More]
Code History
- FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
- FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
- FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
- FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
- FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
- FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016 (First year ICD-10-CM implemented into the HIPAA code set)