2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z86.15

Personal history of latent tuberculosis infection

ICD-10-CM Code:
Z86.15
ICD-10 Code for:
Personal history of latent tuberculosis infection
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
    (Z00–Z99)
    • Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status
      (Z77-Z99)
      • Personal history of certain other diseases
        (Z86)

Z86.15 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of personal history of latent tuberculosis infection. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024. The code is exempt from present on admission (POA) reporting for inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals.

This code describes a circumstance which influences the patient's health status but not a current illness or injury. The code is unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Clinical Classification

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10-CM Code Edits are applicable to this code:

  • 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)

Z86.15 is exempt from POA reporting - The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement. Review other POA exempt codes here.

CMS POA Indicator Options and Definitions

POA IndicatorReason for CodeCMS will pay the CC/MCC DRG?
YDiagnosis was present at time of inpatient admission.YES
NDiagnosis was not present at time of inpatient admission.NO
UDocumentation insufficient to determine if the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.NO
WClinically undetermined - unable to clinically determine whether the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.YES
1Unreported/Not used - Exempt from POA reporting. NO

Replacement Code

Z8615 replaces the following previously assigned ICD-10-CM code(s):

  • R76.11 - Nonspecific reaction to skin test w/o active tuberculosis

Patient Education


Tuberculosis

What is tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.

Not everyone infected with TB bacteria (germs) becomes sick. So, there are two types of TB conditions:

  • Latent TB infection, where the TB germs live in your body but don't make you sick.
  • TB disease (active TB) where you get sick from the TB germs. TB disease can almost always be cured with antibiotics. But if it's not treated properly, it can be fatal.

TB is found in the U.S., but it is more common in certain other countries.

What causes tuberculosis (TB)?

TB is caused by bacteria (germs) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The germs spread from person to person through the air. People who have TB disease in their throat or lungs spread the germs in the air when they cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. If you breathe in the air that has the germs, you can get TB. TB is not spread by touching, kissing, or sharing food or dishes.

You're more likely to catch TB from people you live or work with than from people you see for shorter amounts of time.

Who is more likely to get infected with tuberculosis (TB) germs?

Anyone who is near a person with TB disease can get infected with the germs. You are more likely to be near someone with TB disease if you:

  • Were born in or often travel to countries where TB disease is common
  • Are a health care worker
  • Work or live in a place where TB is more common, such as shelters for people without homes, jails, and nursing homes

Who is more likely to develop TB disease?

Certain people are more likely to get sick with TB disease after they get infected. They include people who:

  • Have HIV
  • Became infected with TB in the last 2 years
  • Have other diseases, such as diabetes, that make it hard for your body to fight TB germs
  • Have alcohol use disorder or inject illegal drugs
  • Were not treated correctly for TB in the past
  • Are under age 5
  • Are an older adult

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB)?

Most people who have TB germs in their bodies don't get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have latent TB infection. With a latent TB infection, you:

  • Don't have symptoms
  • Can't spread TB to others
  • Could get sick with active TB disease in the future if your immune system becomes weak for another reason
  • Need to take medicine to prevent getting sick with active TB disease in the future

If you have TB disease, the TB germs are active, meaning that they are growing (multiplying) inside your body and making you sick. If the TB is growing in your lungs or throat, you can spread the TB germs to other people. You can get sick with TB disease weeks to years after you're infected with TB germs.

With TB disease, your symptoms will depend on where the TB is growing in your body:

  • General symptoms may include:
    • Chills and fever
    • Night sweats (heavy sweating during sleep)
    • Losing weight without trying
    • Loss of appetite
    • Weakness or fatigue
  • Symptoms from TB disease in your lungs may include:
    • A cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks
    • Coughing up blood or sputum (a thick mucus from the lungs)
    • Chest pain

How is tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed?

Your health care provider or your local health department can test you to find out if you have TB germs in your body. They will give you either a TB skin or blood test.

If your test shows that you have TB germs, you'll need to have other tests to see if the germs are actively growing:

  • Tests for TB disease in the lungs usually include testing samples of your sputum and having chest x-rays.
  • Tests for TB disease in other parts of your body may include tests of urine and tissue samples.

You may need a TB test if you have symptoms of TB disease or if you are at high risk because you are more likely to be near someone with TB disease.

What is the treatment for tuberculosis (TB)?

The treatment for both latent TB infection and TB disease is antibiotics. To make sure you get rid of all the TB germs in your body, it's very important to follow the directions for taking your medicine.

If you don't follow the directions, the TB germs in your body could change and become antibiotic resistant. That means the medicine may stop working and your TB may become hard to cure.

  • For latent TB infections, you usually take medicines for 3 to 9 months. Treatment helps make sure you don't get TB disease in the future.
  • For active TB disease, you usually need to take medicines for 6 to 12 months. Treatment will almost always cure you if you take your pills the right way.
  • For TB disease in your lungs or throat, you'll need to stay home for a few weeks, so you don't spread disease to other people. You can protect the people you live with by:
    • Covering your nose and mouth.
    • Opening windows when possible.
    • Not getting too close to them.

By following medical advice for TB testing and treatment, you can keep yourself healthy and help stop the spread of TB.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020