F43.10 at a glance
F43.10 | |
|---|---|
Official description | Post-traumatic stress disorder, unspecified |
Billable | Yes (FY2027 ICD-10-CM, in effect since October 1, 2026) |
Parent code | F43.1, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a header that can't be billed on its own |
Inclusion term (at F43.1) | Traumatic neurosis |
Category | F43, Reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders |
Excludes notes | None at F43, F43.1 or F43.10 |
F43.10 vs F43.12 and F43.11
The three PTSD codes differ by one word in the diagnosis. The index entry "Disorder, post‑traumatic stress (PTSD)" goes to F43.10, with the subterms "acute" for F43.11 and "chronic" for F43.12. "Neurosis, posttraumatic (situational)" leads to the same three codes.
One thing the code set doesn't give you: a definition. The FY2027 tabular has no note at F43.11 or F43.12 saying how long symptoms must last to count as acute or chronic. The choice rests on what the clinician writes. So if you call it chronic, put the onset and the duration in the note, so anyone reading the record can see why.
The diagnosis as written | Code |
|---|---|
PTSD, course not stated | F43.10 |
PTSD, acute | F43.11 |
PTSD, chronic | F43.12 |
Acute stress disorder or acute stress reaction | F43.0 |
Other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder | F43.89 |
Trauma- and stressor-related disorder, unspecified | F43.9 |
Prolonged grief disorder | F43.81 |
Adjustment disorder after a stressor | F43.20 to F43.29 |
The adjustment disorder codes have their own pages: F43.20, F43.21, F43.22 and F43.23.
Acute PTSD is not acute stress disorder
The names sound alike and code differently. In the ICD‑10‑CM index, "Disorder, stress, acute" points to F43.0, whose tabular entry lists acute crisis reaction, acute reaction to stress and combat and operational stress reaction. F43.11 is PTSD that the clinician has called acute. A client seen two weeks after an assault with a diagnosis of acute stress disorder belongs under F43.0; coding F43.11 tells the payer you diagnosed PTSD.
When F43.10 is the right code
F43.10 fits when PTSD is clearly the diagnosis but its course isn't on the record yet. Typical cases: a referral that just says "PTSD", a first session where the trauma history comes out but the timeline doesn't, or a client with several traumatic events who can't say when symptoms began.
It's a starting point. After a few sessions you usually know enough to say acute or chronic, and the code can follow. A trauma timeline built with the client is often how that happens.
What to document for F43.10
- The traumatic exposure in one or two plain sentences. A progress note doesn't need graphic detail.
- Current symptoms by type: intrusive memories or nightmares, avoidance, changes in mood or thinking, and arousal such as poor sleep or startle.
- Onset and duration as far as known, and what is still unclear.
- A dated measure if you use one, such as the PCL-5.
- Safety: substance use, self-harm and suicidal thinking asked about and answered.
Example, fictional client. 38‑year‑old paramedic, referred by occupational health with "PTSD". Describes nightmares, avoiding the stretch of highway where a multi‑vehicle crash happened, and jumpiness at sirens off shift. Has attended several serious calls over 12 years and can't place when the symptoms started. PCL‑5 today: 46. Denies suicidal thoughts; two to three beers most nights. Diagnosis: post‑traumatic stress disorder, unspecified (F43.10). Plan: trauma timeline next session to date onset; reassess course and update the code.
Billing F43.10
CPT code | When it's used with F43.10 |
|---|---|
90791 | The intake evaluation where PTSD is diagnosed |
90832, 90837 | Individual therapy, including trauma-focused work such as EMDR or exposure, billed by time |
90839, 90840 | Psychotherapy for crisis, when a session is spent on urgent stabilization |
96127 | A scored brief measure such as the PCL-5 |
More detail: 90791, 90837, 90839, 90840 and 96127. For EMDR sessions, our EMDR note templates show what to record for each phase.
CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. CPT codes copyright 2026 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Common mistakes with F43.10
- Coding acute stress disorder as F43.11. It's F43.0 in the index.
- Keeping F43.10 after the notes say chronic. If the record states the course, the code should match.
- Writing "chronic" with no dates behind it. The tabular doesn't define the term, so the note has to carry the reasoning.
- Reporting two PTSD codes at once. F43.10, F43.11 and F43.12 describe the same disorder; pick the one the note supports.
- Using PTSD for a stressor reaction that doesn't meet it. An adjustment disorder or F43.89 may be the better fit.
When an AI scribe drafts a trauma session note, compare its diagnosis with yours before signing. Our AI therapy notes page covers how Twofold records diagnoses.
Checked against the FY2027 ICD‑10‑CM code set from CMS on October 12, 2026. There were no changes to F43.10 or the other PTSD codes in FY2027.