R42: Dizziness and giddiness
Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2027
What ICD-10-CM says
Includes
- Light-headedness
- Vertigo NOS
Excludes1 (never coded with R42)
- vertiginous syndromes (H81.-)
- vertigo from infrasound (T75.23)
What R42 covers
R42 is a symptom code for dizziness when no more specific cause is documented. It includes light-headedness and vertigo NOS. It is a three-character code with no subdivisions.
Primary care, urgent care, ENT and neurology use it, often at a first visit. When a vestibular cause is diagnosed, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, the H81.- codes apply instead. Fainting is a different symptom, coded R55.
Billing and coding notes
R42 has an excludes1 for vertiginous syndromes (H81.-) and vertigo from infrasound (T75.23). When the provider diagnoses a specific vestibular disorder, use the H81 code and drop R42.
In outpatient coding, the guidelines say not to code a diagnosis written as "probable" or "rule out". If the note says "dizziness, rule out BPPV", R42 is the code until the diagnosis is confirmed.
Questions about R42
Is R42 used for vertigo?
For vertigo NOS, yes. Once a vertiginous syndrome such as BPPV is diagnosed, use the H81.- code, which is an excludes1 at R42.
Is R42 billable?
Yes. R42 is a complete three-character code.
ICD-10-CM in CloudMedico
In CloudMedico, a visit's diagnoses come from the current ICD-10-CM list. For US practices, the visit flags a code that isn't billable on its date, and a superbill made from an invoice carries the visit's diagnoses.
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