2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z60.5Target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution

ICD-10-CM Codes›Z00–Z99›Z55-Z65›Z60

ICD-10-CM Z60.5
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

Z60.5 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 951. The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor. Coders also document this condition as bullied at school. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Socioeconomic/psychosocial factors.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Z60.5
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution
Short Description
Target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Z60
Problems related to social environment

Code Classification

ChapterZ00–Z99Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
SectionZ55-Z65Persons with potential health hazards related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances
CategoryZ60Problems related to social environment
This CodeZ60.5Target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z60.5.

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.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Bullied at school
  • Persecution
  • Political discrimination
  • Religious discrimination
  • Victim of bullying
  • Victim of bullying when not in school
  • Victim of discrimination
  • Victim of persecution

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Z60.5: its own notes plus those printed at Chapter 21. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

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

  • social exclusion and rejection (Z60.4)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 21 (Z00-Z99) Factors influencing health status and contact with health services applies to 1,425 codes
  • Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
  • (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
  • (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.

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

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name Z60.5, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 2

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming Z60.5: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • Z60.4 Social exclusion and rejection
    target of adverse discrimination such as for racial or religious reasons (Z60.5)
  • Z65.5 Exposure to disaster, war and other hostilities
    target of perceived discrimination or persecution (Z60.5)

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

Convert Z60.5 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
V62.4 Social maladjustment
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 Z60.5Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution?

The ICD-10-CM code for target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution is Z60.5 (sometimes written as Z605). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is Z60.5 (Problems related to social environment) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does Z60.5 group to?

On inpatient claims, target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution maps to MS-DRG 951 (other Factors Influencing Health Status), which carries a relative weight of 0.5574. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can Z60.5 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

Can Z60.5 be reported with Z60.4?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on Z60.5 lists "social exclusion and rejection (Z60.4)". 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).