Health care providers, health plans, delivery systems and health IT all have a part in preventing and treating obesity and related chronic disease:
- Providers: screen patients for obesity routinely, check for obesity-related diseases, and treat or refer to effective treatment.
- Health plans: comprehensive coverage and reimbursement.
- Health IT: quality improvement and population surveillance.
- Delivery systems — from a one-provider practice to a large system: coordinated, patient-centered care with standard processes, strong information systems and comprehensive services.
New diagnosis codes, October 2024
ICD-10-CM codes classify and diagnose disease, and are used for disease management and billing. The old obesity codes (E66.0, E66.01, E66.09) said "obesity due to excess calories" — which neither reflected the disease's complexity nor captured its severity in children and adults.
The new codes, in the October 1, 2024, ICD-10-CM release:
- classify obesity and its severity more accurately;
- aim to reduce stigma and improve care at all ages;
- can track services for quality and performance, and support health services research.
E-codes name the patient's illness and drive billing and reimbursement; Z-codes record factors that shape health status, giving context. Use them together, in line with recommended treatment.
Adults
| E-code | Severity | BMI (kg/m²) |
|---|---|---|
| E66.811 | Class 1 obesity | 30 to less than 35 |
| E66.812 | Class 2 obesity | 35 to less than 40 |
| E66.813 | Class 3 obesity | 40 or greater |
…plus the adult BMI Z-code:
| Z-code | Adult BMI |
|---|---|
| Z68.25–Z68.29 | 25–29.9 |
| Z68.30–Z68.39 | 30.0–39.9 |
| Z68.41 | 40.0–44.9 |
| Z68.42 | 45.0–49.9 |
| Z68.43 | 50.0–59.9 |
| Z68.44 | 60.0–69.9 |
| Z68.45 | 70 or greater |
Adult obesity diagnosis codes. CDC.
Children
| E-code | Severity | Childhood Z-code | BMI percentile for age and sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| E66.811 | Class 1 obesity | Z68.54 | 95th percentile to less than 120% of the 95th percentile |
| E66.812 | Class 2 obesity | Z68.55 | 120% to less than 140% of the 95th percentile |
| E66.813 | Class 3 obesity | Z68.56 | 140% of the 95th percentile or more |
Child obesity diagnosis codes. CDC.
Materials to share
CDC offers downloadable, adaptable partner packages — sample newsletter and social media posts, a code table and a sample fact sheet — for the adult codes (table) and the child codes (table).
More
- Children: screening, evaluation and treatment, evidence-based guidelines.
- BMI: about BMI, the adult calculator (ages 20 and up) and the child and teen calculator (ages 2 to 19).
- Data: DNPAO Data, Trends, and Maps.
Sources
Based on "Health Care Strategies for Obesity: Diagnosis Codes," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The code tables, published as images, are transcribed here; the page's stock photographs and promotional graphics are left out.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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