2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z69.81Encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse

ICD-10-CM Codes›Z00–Z99›Z69-Z76›Z69

ICD-10-CM Z69.81
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

Z69.81 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse. 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 abuse counseling of domestic violence victim. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Encounter for mental health services related to abuse.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Z69.81
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse
Short Description
Encounter for mental health services for victim of oth abuse
Parent Code
Z69.8
Encounter for mental health services for victim or perpetrator of other abuse

Code Classification

ChapterZ00–Z99Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
SectionZ69-Z76Persons encountering health services in other circumstances
CategoryZ69Encounter for mental health services for victim and perpetrator of abuse
This CodeZ69.81Encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z69.81.

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

Z69.81 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.

  • Abuse counseling of domestic violence victim

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Inclusion Terms

  • Encounter for mental health services for victim of non-spousal adult abuse
  • Encounter for mental health services for victim of spouse or partner violence, sexual
  • Encounter for rape victim counseling

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.

    • Counseling(for)
      • abuse NEC
        • victim
    • Counseling(for)
      • rape victim
    • Counseling(for)
      • victim (of)
        • abuse
    • Counseling(for)
      • victim (of)
        • rape NEC
    • Encounter(with health service) (for)
      • mental health services (for)
        • abuse NEC
          • victim
    • Encounter(with health service) (for)
      • mental health services (for)
        • non-spousal adult abuse
          • victim
    • Encounter(with health service) (for)
      • mental health services (for)
        • spousal or partner
          • violence
            • victim (physical)
              • sexual

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR FAC002
Encounter for mental health services related to abuse
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient Yes

Convert Z69.81 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
V65.49 Other specfd counseling
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 Z69.81Overview

Is Z69.81 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Can Z69.81 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

Is Z69.81 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 mental health services for victim of other abuse on inpatient claims.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of Z69.81?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, encounter for mental health services for victim of other abuse converts to ICD-9-CM V65.49 (other specfd counseling). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.