ICD-10 Guide

Polycythaemia

ICD-10 Coding for Polycythaemia(D45, D75.0, D75.1)

PRIMARY SPECIALTYHematology

COMPLEXITYHigh

LAST UPDATED09/15/2025

Sam Tuffun, PT, DPT

Physical Therapist | Medical Coding & Billing Contributor

Diagnosis Overview

What is Polycythaemia?

Essential facts and insights about Polycythaemia

Key Clinical Considerations:

Elevated hemoglobin or hematocrit levels
Bone marrow biopsy showing hypercellularity
Symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and visual disturbances

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Patient history including symptoms and duration
Laboratory results for hemoglobin and hematocrit levels
Assessment of secondary causes of polycythaemia

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Use D45 for primary polycythemia vera and D47.1 for secondary causes.
Common errors include misclassifying secondary causes as primary.

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Secondary causes such as chronic hypoxia or tumors producing erythropoietin
Alternative codes for other hematological disorders

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Hematology

Specialty Applications

Adults with symptoms of increased blood viscosity
Hematology clinics and general practice settings

Coding Complexity

High Complexity

This diagnosis requires careful attention to:

Comprehensive clinical documentation
Accurate code selection based on clinical criteria
Proper exclusion considerations
Specialty-specific coding guidelines

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Ensure proper documentation for billing
Verify code specificity requirements
Check for any additional codes needed
Review payer-specific guidelines

Common Issues

Insufficient clinical documentation
Incorrect code selection
Missing supporting diagnoses
Timing and frequency documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the documentation requirements?

Document patient history, lab results, and any secondary causes.

What are the billing considerations?

Ensure accurate coding based on primary vs secondary polycythaemia.

Polycythaemia

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the documentation requirements?

What are the billing considerations?

Polycythaemia

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the documentation requirements?

What are the billing considerations?