Bedbound ICD-10-CM Codes

Read this short guide to learn about Bedbound ICD codes you can use.

By Emma Hainsworth on Jun 16, 2024.

Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.

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Table of content

What Bedbound ICD codes can I use?Are these Bedbound ICD codes billable?Clinical Information Synonyms Include FAQS

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What Bedbound ICD codes can I use?

If you’re looking for Bedbound ICD codes, only two ICD-10 codes are meant for it.

The main one you’re looking for is Z74.01 - Bed confinement status, which is meant for patients confirmed to be bedridden.

Please note that this ICD-10 code is not valid as a principal diagnosis because it’s meant to explain something about the patient’s health status, which is confined to a bed.

The principal diagnosis must be an ICD-10 code for why the patient is bedridden.

The other ICD-10 code you can use is Z78.9 - Other specified health status. If your bedridden patient has difficulty transferring to wheelchairs or chairs and back to their beds, whether on their own or with assistance. This also applies if they can’t transfer to a chair or wheelchair.

Similar to Z74.01 - Bed confinement status, this code is not valid as a principal diagnosis.

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Are these Bedbound ICD codes billable?

Yes. While both Bedbound-related ICD-10 codes are invalid as principal diagnoses, they are valid in general and billable.

Clinical Information

Speaking from a medical point of view, being bedbound means being unable to leave the bed because of an illness (especially a chronic illness), injury, or a particular medical condition.

Being bedbound entails having a significant loss of mobility and functioning. That doesn’t mean they can’t leave their beds, though. They can, especially if they need to be transferred to another room, but they will likely have difficulty doing so independently or with support. Some bedbound people can’t be budged at all!

Here are examples of illnesses and conditions that can render a person bedbound:

Influenza
Pneumonia
Broken legs
Spinal cord injuries
Multiple sclerosis

Synonyms Include:

Bed-ridden
Bed confinement
Impaired mobility
Dependent transfer from bed to chair
Dependent transfer from chair to bed
Difficulty transferring from bed to chair
Difficulty transferring from chair to bed
Difficulty transferring from bed to wheelchair
Difficulty transferring from wheelchair to bed
Does not transfer from bed to chair
Does not transfer from bed to wheelchair
Unable to transfer from bed to chair
Unable to transfer from bed to wheelchair

Commonly asked questions

What are other reasons why a person would be bedbound?

Sometimes, it has nothing to do with diseases, injuries, or medical conditions. As we age, our bodies become frail. Some older people are so weak that they can’t move anymore.

Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease can become progressively worse to the point that a person’s mobility is significantly impacted, rendering them bedbound.

Is being bedbound bad?

Not necessarily. Being bedbound is necessary for people who have sustained certain injuries or have undergone specific surgical procedures because they need to be primarily immobile to heal appropriately.

However, being bedbound can negatively impact a person physically and psychologically.

Being bedbound for too long can cause bedsores to emerge. Muscle atrophy and bone density reduction/loss are other complications due to being bedbound for too long.

It can also lead to Deep Vein Thrombosis because of the lack of physical activity.

For people who have been bedbound for too long, what must be done when they finally regain a bit of mobility and functioning?

They will likely have to undergo physical therapy or something similar to help rehabilitate their limbs. Therapy should help condition their bodies over time to help them return to a state where they can move with little to no support and carry out activities of daily living again.