New "Z codes" and a tool to help physicians use them

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) has released a new infographic to help physicians use “Z codes” to report social determinants of health. The infographic, “Improving the Collection of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Data with Z Codes (2023),” also includes a list of the most recent codes.

ICD-10-CM codes Z55-Z65 come in nine broad categories of SDOH known to affect patients’ health outcomes. Many of the latest codes fall under the category of Z62 – “Problems related to upbringing” (e.g., Z62.823, “Parent-step child conflict”). Other categories include issues related to housing and economic circumstances, or education and literacy. There are SDOH screening tools practices can use to reveal these issues, and conversations between the physician and patient and patient self-reported information can also be sources of SDOH data.

As payers increase their focus on improving health equity, many are encouraging practices to report Z codes. Collecting and reporting SDOH data can also provide information that researchers and stakeholders use to advocate for policies that support health equity.

For more tips and resources see the “Using Z Codes: The SDOH Data Journey to Better Outcomes” or visit the CMS OMH webpage. See also "Screening for Social Determinants of Health in Daily Practice."

— Erin Solis, Manager of AAFP Center for Payment and Practice Innovation

Posted on Oct. 2, 2023