2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z70.8Other sex counseling
Z70.8 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other sex counseling. 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 and exempt from POA reporting. Coders also document this condition as educated about risk of unprotected sexual intercourse. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Counseling related to sexual behavior or orientation.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z70.8.
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
Z70.8 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review the other POA exempt codes in Persons encountering health services in other circumstances (Z69-Z76).
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Educated about risk of unprotected sexual intercourse
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to Z70.8: its own notes plus those printed at Z70 and Chapter 21. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- encounter for mental health services for sexual attitude, behavior and orientation
Applicable To
Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.
- Encounter for sex education
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- 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 Z70.8, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming Z70.8: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2 1
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming Z70.8: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Sexual Health
Sexuality is a big part of being human. Love, affection and sexual intimacy all play a role in healthy relationships. They also contribute to your sense of well-being. A number of disorders can affect the ability to have or enjoy sex in both men and women.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert Z70.8 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About Z70.8Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for other sex counseling?
The ICD-10-CM code for other sex counseling is Z70.8 (sometimes written as Z708). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is Z70.8 a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other sex counseling on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does Z70.8 group to?
On inpatient claims, other sex counseling 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 Z70.8 be a principal diagnosis?
No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because other sex counseling describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.
Is Z70.8 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 other sex counseling on inpatient claims. The code appears in the Persons encountering health services in other circumstances (Z69-Z76) range of the CMS exempt list.
