2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z00.70Encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings

ICD-10-CM Codes›Z00–Z99›Z00-Z13›Z00

ICD-10-CM Z00.70
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

Z00.70 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to pediatric patients (age 0 through 17), not accepted as a principal diagnosis, and exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Medical examination/evaluation.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Z00.70
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings
Short Description
Encntr for exam for delay growth in chldhd w/o abn findings
Parent Code
Z00.7
Encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood

Code Classification

ChapterZ00–Z99Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
SectionZ00-Z13Persons encountering health services for examinations
CategoryZ00Encounter for general examination without complaint, suspected or reported diagnosis
This CodeZ00.70Encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z00.70.

Pediatric diagnoses
The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in pediatric cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The pediatric code edits apply to patients age range is 0–17 years inclusive (e.g., Reye's syndrome, routine child health exam).
Unacceptable principal diagnosis
There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Present on Admission (POA)Billing

Z00.70 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review other POA exempt codes.

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.

    • Evaluation(for) (of)
      • development state
        • period of
          • delayed growth in childhood
    • Evaluation(for) (of)
      • growth and developmental state (period of rapid growth)
        • delayed growth
    • Evaluation(for) (of)
      • period of
        • delayed growth in childhood

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR FAC014
Medical examination/evaluation
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Child Development

As children grow older, they develop in several different ways. Child development includes physical, intellectual, social, and emotional changes.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert Z00.70 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
V70.8 General medical exam NEC
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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About Z00.70Overview

Is Z00.70 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Can Z00.70 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

Who can Z00.70 be reported for?

The Medicare Code Editor checks encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings against patient demographics: this code is intended for pediatric patients (age 0 through 17). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.

Is Z00.70 exempt from POA reporting?

Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings on inpatient claims.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of Z00.70?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, encounter for examination for period of delayed growth in childhood without abnormal findings converts to ICD-9-CM V70.8 (general medical exam NEC). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.