F33.1 at a glance
F33.1 | |
|---|---|
Official description | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate |
Billable | Yes, in the FY2027 code set (effective October 1, 2026) |
Category | F33, Major depressive disorder, recurrent (a header) |
Block | F30-F39, Mood [affective] disorders |
Category F33 includes | Recurrent episodes of major, reactive, psychogenic or endogenous depression, and of seasonal affective disorder, among others |
Excludes1 (category F33) | Bipolar disorder (F31.-), manic episode (F30.-) |
Changed in FY2027 | No |
F33.1 diagnosis code: how the index gets there
In the ICD‑10‑CM Alphabetic Index the path is Disorder, depressive, recurrent, current episode, moderate. Stop one step early, at "recurrent", and you get F33.9, major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified. F33.1 therefore needs two facts in the note: this isn't the client's first episode, and the current one is moderate.
The tabular doesn't define mild, moderate or severe by any score. Severity is the clinician's judgment, so record the reasons for it: which symptoms are present, how much they interfere, and what the client can still manage. A PHQ‑9 supports that judgment. It doesn't replace it.
F33.1 vs F32.1, F33.0, F33.2 and F33.9
What the note says | Code |
|---|---|
Major depressive disorder, first episode, moderate | F32.1 |
Recurrent, current episode mild | F33.0 |
Recurrent, current episode moderate | F33.1 |
Recurrent, current episode severe, no psychotic features | F33.2 |
Recurrent, current episode severe with psychotic symptoms | F33.3 |
Recurrent, severity not stated | F33.9 |
Recurrent, in partial or full remission | F33.41 or F33.42 |
Category F32 has an Excludes1 note for recurrent depressive disorder, so a single‑episode code and an F33 code never sit on the same claim. When a client with a documented past episode comes back with a new one, code from F33, even if the earlier episode was treated by another clinician.
Related pages: F32.1, F33.0, F33.2, F32.A, F32.9 and F34.1.
Seasonal depression and F33.1
The index entry Disorder, seasonal affective, recurrent episodes points to F33.‑, the whole category, and "Depression, seasonal" sends you to Disorder, depressive, recurrent. ICD‑10‑CM has no separate seasonal code. A client whose winter episodes keep returning, with the current one moderate, is coded F33.1, and the seasonal pattern has to be written in the note because the code won't show it.
What to document for F33.1
- The earlier episodes: roughly when, how long they lasted, and how they resolved. Records from a previous provider help.
- Current symptoms and how long this episode has run.
- Why you rated it moderate and not mild or severe.
- Any history of mania or hypomania, or its absence, since F33 excludes bipolar disorder.
- A suicide risk screen and its result.
- Medication, and who prescribes it.
For a fictional client, the assessment might read:
Example. Client, 38, in a third depressive episode by history: one in 2017, one in 2021, and the current one since early September. Reports low mood most days, poor concentration at work, waking at 4 a.m., and seeing friends less. Still working full time, with lower output. PHQ‑9 is 15. Denies suicidal ideation. No history of mania or hypomania. Takes sertraline prescribed by her primary care physician. Assessment: major depressive disorder, recurrent, current episode moderate (F33.1). Plan: weekly CBT, coordinate with the PCP about the medication, rescore the PHQ‑9 every four weeks.
AI‑drafted notes sometimes drop the history that makes a code recurrent. Our guide to DAP, BIRP and GIRP progress notes covers what to check before signing.
Billing F33.1
F33.1 turns up on claims from both therapists and prescribers, so the CPT codes vary more than for most therapy diagnoses.
CPT code | Who uses it with F33.1 |
|---|---|
90791 | A therapist's diagnostic evaluation at intake |
90792 | A prescriber's diagnostic evaluation that includes medical services |
90834, 90837 | Individual psychotherapy; which one depends on how long the session ran |
90833 | Psychotherapy added to a prescriber's E/M visit |
96127 | Rescoring a PHQ-9 or another brief measure |
Code pages: 90791, 90792, 90837, 90833 and 96127.
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Common mistakes with F33.1
- Recurrent with no history in the note. If the earlier episode isn't recorded anywhere, a reviewer can't see why the code isn't F32.1.
- F32.1 for a returning client. A new episode after an earlier one belongs in F33.
- Staying on F33.1 after recovery. Partial remission is F33.41 and full remission is F33.42.
- Missing a bipolar history. F33 carries an Excludes1 for bipolar disorder, so past hypomania changes the category.
- Severity drift. The note describes severe symptoms but the claim still says moderate, or the other way round.
Checked against the FY2027 ICD‑10‑CM code set from CMS on October 12, 2026. F33.1 did not change this year.