2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z59.00Homelessness unspecified

ICD-10-CM Codes›Z00–Z99›Z55-Z65›Z59

ICD-10-CM Z59.00
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

Z59.00 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for homelessness unspecified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor and exempt from POA reporting. Coders also document this condition as homeless. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Socioeconomic/psychosocial factors.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Z59.00
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Homelessness unspecified
Short Description
Homelessness unspecified
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Z59.0
Homelessness

Code Classification

ChapterZ00–Z99Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
SectionZ55-Z65Persons with potential health hazards related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances
CategoryZ59Problems related to housing and economic circumstances
This CodeZ59.00Homelessness unspecified

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z59.00.

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

Z59.00 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review other POA exempt codes.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Homeless
  • Homeless family
  • Homeless single person
  • Housing lack
  • Living rough
  • Single person
  • Social migrant
  • Vagrant

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.

    • Hobo
    • Homelessness
    • Lack of
      • housing (permanent) (temporary)
    • Migrant, social
    • Migratory, migrating
      • person
    • Nomad, nomadism
    • Person(with)
      • living (in)
        • without
          • housing (permanent) (temporary)
    • Problem(with) (related to)
      • homelessness
    • Social
      • migrant
    • Tramp
    • Transient(meaning homeless)
    • Vagabond, vagabondage
    • Vagrancy

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR FAC019
Socioeconomic/psychosocial factors
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Single Person

    the unmarried man or woman.

  • Homelessness Support Service Type|Homelessness Support|Homelessness Support

    the service type that is associated with the health level 7 fast healthcare interoperability resources homelessness support code.

  • Current or Recent Employee or Volunteer in Homeless Shelter|CURRENT OR RECENT EMPLOYEE OR VOLUNTEER IN HOMELESS SHELTER

    an individual who is presently or not long ago worked or offered to assist without pay at a temporary housing facility for persons without a stable or permanent residence.

  • Encounter due to Homelessness|Homelessness

    an icd encounter due to homelessness.

  • Homeless

    without a stable or permanent residence.

  • Homeless During Past Year|HOMELESS DURING PAST YEAR

    an individual without a stable or permanent residence within the last 365 days.

  • Homeless Shelter

    a facility that provides a temporary residence and overnight sleeping accommodations for unhoused individuals and families.

  • Unhoused Indicator|Homeless Indicator|UHOUSIND

    an indication as to whether the subject is unhoused.

Patient EducationClinical

Homelessness and Health

Each night, hundreds of thousands of people experience homelessness in the United States. Some of these people experience chronic homelessness, while others have temporarily lost their shelter. The reasons why they are homelessness are complex. They can include a combination of factors such as:

The full article covers:

  • What are the causes of homelessness?
  • What is the link between homelessness and health?
  • What are some of the common health problems that people experiencing homelessness have?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Code History & ChangesHistory

Replacement Z59.00 replaces the following previously assigned code(s):

  • Z59.0 - Homelessness
FY 2022AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2021.
FY 2023–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About Z59.00Overview

Is Z59.00 (Homelessness) a billable code?

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

Can Z59.00 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because homelessness unspecified describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

Is Z59.00 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 homelessness unspecified on inpatient claims.