According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 3 million Americans are affected by anemia every year. That makes anemia one of the most common blood disorders in the United States. Anemia marked by low red blood cell count or low haemoglobin levels. Understanding the ICD-10 code for anemia is essential for accurate diagnosis, billing, and effective treatment planning in healthcare settings.
Let’s explore the Anemia ICD-10 codes based upon the types and confitions including category-specific such as Iron Deficiency Anemia (D50.0, D50.1, D50.8, D50.9), Megaloblastic (Nutritional) Anemia (D51.0, D51.3, D52.0, D52.9), and Hemolytic Anemia (D55.0, D55.1, D56.0, D57.0, D58.9), along with D64.9, D50.9, and other frequently used diagnosis codes.
Here are the complete coding details based on the relative conditions and types of anemia:
When the cause of anemia is unclear, coders often use the ICD 10 code for anemia unspecified (D64.9).
Example:
A patient presents with fatigue and low hemoglobin, but further tests are pending — code D64.9 is appropriate.
Pregnant, breastfeeding women, and people who don’t get enough iron from food may be at higher risk of iron deficiency.
If it’s 3 months or older, it’s chronic.
Examples:
| Associated Condition | ICD 10 Code | Notes |
| Chronic kidney disease | D63.1 | Use with CKD stage codes (N18.-) |
| Malignancy or infection | D63.0 | If due to neoplastic disease |
| Other chronic illness | D63.8 | General use |
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According to the NIH, the normal size of red blood cells (RBCs) is between 80 to 100.
Microcytic anemia involves smaller-than-normal red blood cells (<80fL), while Macrocytic anemia involves larger-than-normal red blood cells (>100fL).
| Type | ICD 10 Code | Features | Common Causes |
| Macrocytic anemia ICD 10 | D53.9 | Large red cells | B12 or folate deficiency |
| Microcytic anemia ICD 10 | D50.9 | Small red cells | Iron deficiency |
Occurs when bone marrow’s stem cells stop producing the required numbers of red blood cells.
| Type | ICD 10 Code | Description |
| Aplastic anemia ICD 10 code | D61.9 | Bone marrow failure leading to low RBCs |
| Hemolytic anemia ICD 10 | D55–D59 | Premature destruction of RBCs |
| Autoimmune hemolytic anemia | D59.1 | Common in lupus or autoimmune disorders |
Symptoms:
Fatigue, jaundice, rapid heartbeat, dark urine.
Happens when the body lacks enough red blood cells to carry oxygen; usually due to a lack of iron.
Example:
A pregnant woman diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia in the second trimester → O99.012 + D50.9
Characterized by a drop in red blood cells due to chemotherapy.
Example:
A breast cancer patient receiving chemo with low hemoglobin: D64.81
As the name suggests, nutritional anemia is caused by a lack of essential nutrients. While the normocytic is caused by the lack of red blood cells.
The following may also help in selecting the right ICD 10 code:
| Encounter Type | Notes |
| First Visit / Initial Diagnosis | Code based on available lab data. If the cause is unclear, use D64.9. |
| Repeated / Follow-up Visits | Update diagnosis once etiology is confirmed. |
| Hospitalization | Combine with cause-specific codes (e.g., D63.1 + N18.6 for CKD-related anemia). |
| Outpatient Checkup | Use primary anemia code and symptom codes like R53.83 (Fatigue) or R06.02 (Shortness of breath) if relevant. |
The following table includes the most commonly used ICD-10 codes for anemia:
| Type of Anemia | ICD 10 Code | Description |
| Anemia, unspecified | D64.9 | ICD 10 anemia unspecified |
| Iron deficiency anemia, unspecified | D50.9 | Iron deficiency anemia ICD 10 |
| Anemia in chronic kidney disease | D63.1 | ICD 10 anemia of CKD |
| Anemia in neoplastic disease | D63.0 | Cancer-related anemia |
| Anemia due to chemotherapy | D64.81 | Drug-induced |
| Aplastic anemia | D61.9 | Bone marrow failure |
| Hemolytic anemia | D59.9 | RBC destruction |
| Pernicious anemia | D51.0 | Vitamin B12 deficiency |
| Megaloblastic anemia | D53.1 | Folate or B12-related |
| Microcytic anemia | D50.9 | Iron deficiency type |
The correct documentation supports your claims and helps justify the codes used.
Connecting Anemia ICD-10 with UTI ICD-10 helps you keep your documentation spot-on and your claims cleaner. Always double-check lab results, look for how the two conditions relate, and use combo coding when it makes sense — it’s the key to accurate, compliant billing every time.
Accurate ICD-10 coding ensures:
For healthcare practices struggling with accurate anemia coding, Hello MDs can help streamline your medical billing, reduce denials, and ensure compliance with ICD-10 guidelines.
Shortness of breath and fatigue, weakness, and pale skin may be some signs of anemia. Once diagnosed, accurate use of anemia ICD 10 codes supports better treatment decisions and reimbursement accuracy. Whether it’s iron deficiency anemia, anemia in chronic kidney disease, or chemotherapy-induced anemia, precise documentation is key.
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. While we strive for accuracy, errors or omissions may occur.
Some images in this blog may be AI-generated or for illustrative purposes only.
It means “Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).” For Medicare, it falls under “Return/Unprocessable Claim” (RUC) when a claim is missing required information.
The solution depends on the root cause: update missing patient or provider details, add missing authorization or referral, correct modifiers/CPT/ICD codes, ensure correct claim form, and complete fields.
It depends on the payer’s processing time, your claim volume, and whether any additional documentation is required. By fixing the issue swiftly and tracking the claim, you can often see reimbursement in the regular adjudication cycle.
“B16” is a patient responsibility adjustment code – it indicates that payment was adjusted because the “new patient” criteria were not met. This is distinct from CO 16 which is a claim submission error.
CO 18 indicates “Duplicate claim/service.” It is used when the payer determines that the same claim/service has already been adjudicated.
