F33.42 – Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in full remission

F33.42 diagnosis code: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in full remission

• F33.42 diagnosis code is used for cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) with recurrent episodes (American Academy of Professional Coders, n.d.).
• The term "recurrent" indicates that the patient has experienced at least two episodes of depression.
• "Full remission" means that the patient no longer exhibits any significant symptoms of depression and has essentially recovered.
• This code is used when a patient with a history of MDD has successfully responded to treatment and is no longer experiencing depressive symptoms.

Is F33.42 billable?

Yes, F33.42 is a billable code. It specifies cases of recurrent major depressive disorder in which the patient has achieved full remission, meaning they have recovered from their depressive episodes.

Clinical information

• F33.42 indicates that the patient has a history of multiple depressive episodes but is not experiencing any significant symptoms. This is the code description for major depression recurrent episodes in full remission.
• Full remission implies that the patient's depressive symptoms have resolved for an extended period, unlike partial remission, where some symptoms may persist.
• Despite being in full remission, the patient may still require ongoing treatment to maintain their mental health and prevent relapse into a current episode of depression.
• When documenting, it's important to differentiate F33.42 from other forms of recurrent depression such as endogenous depression recurrent episodes, psychogenic depression recurrent episodes, depressive reaction recurrent episodes, or reactive depression recurrent episodes.
• This diagnostic code specifically indicates the absence of psychotic symptoms in the patient's clinical history, which would otherwise require a different classification.
• Care should be taken to distinguish this condition from unspecified major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, as treatment approaches may differ significantly.

Synonyms include

• Recurrent major depression in full remission
• Major depression, recurrent, in complete remission
• Major depressive disorder, recurrent episodes in full remission
• Recurrent severe depressive episode in full remission
• Recurrent depressive disorder, currently in full remission

Other ICD-10 codes commonly used for depression

• F32.0: Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild
• F32.1: Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate
• F32.2: Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe without psychotic features
• F32.3: Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe with psychotic features
• F33.0: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild
• F33.1: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate
• F33.2: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe without psychotic features
• F33.3: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms

Reference

American Academy of Professional Coders. (n.d.). ICD-10-CM Code for major depressive disorder, recurrent, in full remission F33.42. Codify by AAPC. https://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/F33.42