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Cracking the Code
Coding Depression and Anxiety
- Published on June 10, 2021
When a patient has both depression and anxiety, it is important to remember that there is not an assumed relationship between the two conditions. If a provider’s documentation has not established a linkage between the depression and the anxiety, then it is appropriate to report F32.9, major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified and F41.9, anxiety disorder, unspecified to capture both conditions. However, if a provider’s documentation DOES establish a linkage between the two conditions, then it is appropriate to assign the combination diagnosis code F41.8, other specified anxiety disorders to capture both conditions. This code assignment also includes anxiety depression and mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.
F41.9, anxiety disorder, unspecified