Top ICD-10 Codes for Speech Therapy (2024)

Introduction

Managing a successful speech therapy practice for children requires a blend of art and science. Speech therapy addresses a range of specific developmental disorders. To provide excellent care, you must put patients at ease, encourage them to participate in their treatment, and give your staff the necessary authority.

While doing so, you must also serve patients effectively to remain at the forefront of your field and keep your business afloat. This is a delicate balancing act, especially when accurate medical billing is crucial to the financial health of the medical practice. You must ensure your claims are accepted on time to keep cash flow where it should be. 

In this post, we'll review ICD-10 codes and the codes you'll most likely use in your language and speech therapy practice.

What are ICD-10 codes?

ICD-10 codes, or the "International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision," are used by physicians, health care providers, and public health officials worldwide to classify and code all diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures recorded in conjunction with hospital care. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), these codes provide a standardized language for reporting and monitoring diseases.

Each ICD-10 code is a unique combination of letters and numbers corresponding to a specific medical diagnosis or health condition. This standardization allows for consistent and transparent data collection and reporting, crucial for epidemiology, health management, billing, and insurance. For example, the code for Type 2 diabetes is E11, and S72.001A could be used for a fracture of the right femur.

How does ICD-10 apply to outpatient speech therapy services?

ICD-10 codes are integral to outpatient speech therapy services, serving several crucial functions that facilitate care delivery, billing, and patient outcomes tracking.

Firstly, the accurate use of ICD-10 codes allows speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to document a patient's diagnosis. Each speech or language disorder is associated with a specific ICD-10 code, which helps to outline the scope of developmental disorder and the therapy required. For example, a child diagnosed with expressive language disorder (ICD-10 code F80.1) will receive targeted interventions that differ from those of a child with mixed receptive-expressive language disorder.

Moreover, these codes are essential for billing and insurance purposes. Health insurance providers rely on ICD-10 codes to determine the necessity and appropriateness of the therapy provided, affecting the approval and reimbursement of therapy sessions. Accurate coding ensures that treatment is covered under the patient's health plan, minimizing out-of-pocket expenses for families and ensuring continuity of care.

ICD-10 codes also facilitate the tracking and reporting of treatment outcomes in outpatient speech therapy. By using standardized codes, therapists can efficiently document changes in the patient’s condition, assess the effectiveness of interventions, and make informed decisions about continuing or adjusting treatment plans.

Top ICD 10 Codes for Speech Therapy (2024)

Because of the nature of ICD-10 codes, professionals use over 70,000 diagnosis codes. While your medical biller must be well-versed in the codes that apply to speech therapy, you should become acquainted with the most commonly used codes. Here are the ten most frequently used codes by speech therapists in 2024 and their descriptions.

F80.0: Phonological disorder

Code F80.0 describes phonological expressive language disorder only. It's hard to say the right sound for a letter or word when a person has this expressive language disorder. Some examples of expressive language disorder include:

• Omitting a sound (saying "pay" instead of "pray")
• Swapping one sound for another (saying "save" instead of "cave")
• Adding a sound (saying "beak" instead of "bee")

F80.2: Receptive language disorder

This disorder is characterized by difficulty understanding spoken language, including both the semantic meaning of words and the overall message being conveyed. In some instances, this disorder is co-diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

The ICD-10 code F80.2 can, therefore, be used in conjunction with ICD codes for ADHD (e.g., F90.0 for ADHD, predominantly inattentive type, F90.1 for ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, F90.2 for ADHD, combined type) and autism spectrum disorder (e.g., F84.0 for autistic disorder, F84.1 for atypical autism, F84.5 for Asperger syndrome) when applicable.

Symptoms may vary between patients and include:

• Difficulty following directions
• Difficulty understanding questions
• Difficulty understanding conversations or stories
• Difficulty comprehending abstract language, such as metaphors or idioms
• Delayed or limited language development
• Limited vocabulary

F80.4: Speech and language development delay due to hearing loss

This developmental delay disorder is caused by hearing loss in children and adults. Some of the most common symptoms of speech and language development delay due to hearing loss include:

• Delays in learning new words, especially abstract words and function words like "the" and "a"
• A challenge in understanding terms with multiple meanings
• Tendency to use shorter and simpler sentences
• Speech that is difficult to understand
• Speaking too loudly or quietly or mumbling 
• Difficulty with academic achievement, particularly in reading and mathematics
• Lagging in school by one to four grades on average for children
• Isolating themselves, especially in social situations

Central auditory processing disorder often coexists with hearing loss, influencing speech and language development. Thus, it also requires specific ICD-10 coding for accurate therapy planning.

F80.81: Childhood-onset fluency disorder

The patient's word cluttering and stuttering characterize this developmental disorder. This differs from adult onset fluency disorder mainly due to its causes and characteristics. Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Repeating syllables, sounds, or words, such as "b-b-b-ball" or "I-I-I want"
• Stretching out sounds or syllables, such as "ssssssun" or "lllllet's go".
• Difficulty initiating or continuing speech, where the person may seem "stuck" on a sound or word and struggle to get it out.
• Adding extra sounds or words, such as "um" or "like," or using fillers like "you know" or "uh" to help get words out.
• Showing signs of physical tension or effort when speaking, such as facial grimaces, eye blinks, or body movements.
• Avoiding speaking situations or words that are challenging, which can lead to social anxiety or isolation.

R13.11: Dysphagia, oral phase

This swallowing disorder affects the ability to move liquid or food from the mouth to the throat. Symptoms include:

• Coughing or choking while eating or drinking
• Difficulty starting a swallow
• Difficulty controlling liquid or food in the mouth
• Drooling
• Pocketing liquid or food on the cheeks
• Prolonged chewing or meal times
• A sensation of liquid or food sticking in the throat or chest
• Regurgitation of liquid or food
• Gagging or vomiting during or after drinking or eating

R13.12: Dysphagia, oropharyngeal phase

This swallowing disorder affects the ability to move liquid or food through the back of the mouth and into the throat. Symptoms are similar to those seen in the oral phase of dysphagia syndrome and include:

• Coughing or choking during or after swallowing
• Difficulty initiating a swallow
• A sensation of liquid or food sticking in the throat or chest
• Regurgitation of liquid or food
• Gagging or vomiting during or after drinking or eating
• A "wet" or gurgling-sounding voice during or after drinking or eating
• Nasal regurgitation of liquid or food
• Difficulty controlling liquid or food in the mouth
• Prolonged meal times or avoidance of certain foods

R47.1: Dysarthria and anarthria

These speech disorders affect a person's ability to produce speech sounds or articulate words. Some common symptoms of dysarthria and anarthria may include the following:

• Slurred or mumbled speech
• Slow or rapid speech rate
• Monotone or robotic speech
• Difficulty controlling the volume or pitch of speech
• Nasal-sounding or breathy voice quality
• Drooling or difficulty swallowing
• Tongue, lip, or jaw weakness or tremors
• Inability to produce any speech sounds (anarthria)

R48.2: Apraxia

Apraxia is a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to plan and execute voluntary movements, including speech. Symptoms of apraxia can vary depending on the severity of the neurological condition and the individual affected, but some common symptoms may include the following signs:

• Difficulty planning and coordinating the movements necessary for speech or other motor tasks, such as brushing their teeth or tying their shoes
• Errors in speech or motor movements may vary from one attempt to the next and may not be predictable
• Struggle to imitate speech sounds, even if they can produce them independently
• Speech may be slow or effortful, with pauses or hesitations between words or sounds
• Difficulty using appropriate intonation and stress patterns in speech
• Repeated attempts to produce a sound or movement, sometimes with a "groping" or trial-and-error quality

R48.8: Other symbolic dysfunctions

This is a broad category of mental that includes various communication disorders. The symptoms of symbolic dysfunctions can vary widely depending on the underlying mental condition, but a primary diagnosis may consist of the following:

• Difficulty expressing oneself through speech or writing
• Difficulty understanding spoken or written language
• Inability to recognize or use symbols or gestures, such as letters or numbers
• Difficulty with pronunciation, rhythm, or intonation of speech
• Use of incorrect grammar or sentence structure
• Repetitive or stereotyped language or speech patterns
• Difficulty with social communication, such as taking turns in conversation or understanding nonverbal cues
• Difficulty with reading comprehension or written expression
• Limited vocabulary or word retrieval difficulties

R63.3: Feeding difficulties

This disorder can manifest in various symptoms depending on the underlying cause of the disorder, characterized by feeding difficulty. Some common symptoms that may be associated with feeding and developmental challenges include:

• Refusal to eat or drink
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Regurgitation or vomiting during or after feeding
• Coughing or choking during or after feeding
• Weight loss or failure to thrive
• Abdominal pain or discomfort
• Fussiness or irritability during feeding
• Recurrent respiratory infections

Final thoughts

Utilizing ICD codes in speech therapy is essential for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and reimbursement. There are specific ICD codes for speech and language developmental disorders and codes for conditions that may affect speech and language abilities and other developmental disorders such as ADHD disorders and autism spectrum disorders.

To ensure accurate billing and reimbursement, speech-language pathologists must have an in-depth knowledge of the ICD Codes for Speech Therapy and meticulously document their services. While navigating the complex world of medical coding can be difficult, the use of ICD codes ultimately aids in ensuring that patients receive the best possible care and that providers are compensated appropriately for their services.