Coding and coverage · ICD-10-CM

Z20 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to communicable diseases

Not billable (header)Chapter 21

Report one of the more specific codes below.

Check coverage with this diagnosis

Codes under this one

  • Z20.0 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to intestinal infectious diseasesHeader
  • Z20.1 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to tuberculosis
  • Z20.2 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission
  • Z20.3 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to rabies
  • Z20.4 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to rubella
  • Z20.5 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to viral hepatitis
  • Z20.6 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]
  • Z20.7 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to pediculosis, acariasis and other infestations
  • Z20.8 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other communicable diseasesHeader
  • Z20.9 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to unspecified communicable disease

Instructional notes

Chapter 21

Notes
  • Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
  • (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
  • (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.

This code

Excludes1Not coded here: never report with this code, except when the two conditions are unrelated.
  • carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
  • diagnosed current infectious or parasitic disease -see Alphabetic Index
Excludes2Not included here: the patient may have both; report both when both are present.
  • personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases (Z86.1-)

Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services · Z20-Z29 Persons with potential health hazards related to communicable diseases (Z20-Z29)

Source: ICD-10-CM FY 2027 code descriptions and tabular list (CMS and CDC National Center for Health Statistics), effective 2026-10-01 through 2027-09-30 · CMS ICD-10 files. HCC mapping: CMS-HCC V28, payment year 2027. As of 2026-11-04.

Coverage and payment depend on the claim details; confirm with the Medicare Administrative Contractor.