I10 Essential (primary) hypertension

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026.

Includes

• high blood pressure
• hypertension (arterial) (benign) (essential) (malignant) (primary) (systemic)

Excludes1 (never code together)

• hypertensive disease complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O10-O11, O13-O16)

Excludes2 (not included here)

• essential (primary) hypertension involving vessels of brain (I60-I69)
• essential (primary) hypertension involving vessels of eye (H35.0-)

Applies from I10 Essential (primary) hypertension

Includes

• high blood pressure
• hypertension (arterial) (benign) (essential) (malignant) (primary) (systemic)

Excludes1 (never code together)

• hypertensive disease complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O10-O11, O13-O16)

Excludes2 (not included here)

• essential (primary) hypertension involving vessels of brain (I60-I69)
• essential (primary) hypertension involving vessels of eye (H35.0-)

Risk adjustment (HCC)

• RxHCC V08: HCC 187 — Hypertension

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 304-305 in MDC 05.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 401.0 Malignant essential hypertension (approximate)
• 401.1 Benign essential hypertension (approximate)
• 401.9 Unspecified essential hypertension (approximate)

Medicare Code Edits (MCE v43.1 (April 2026))

• Questionable admission: Some diagnoses are not usually sufficient justification for admission to an acute care hospital when reported as principal diagnosis.

Code annotations containing back-references to I10

Back-references to I10

• Use Additional: G31.84 Mild cognitive impairment of uncertain or unknown etiology ("hypertension (I10-I1A)")
• Code Also: H35.0 Background retinopathy and retinal vascular changes ("any associated hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: I16 Hypertensive crisis ("any identified hypertensive disease (I10-I15, I1A)")
• Code First: I1A.0 Resistant hypertension ("essential hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: I67.4 Hypertensive encephalopathy ("essential (primary) hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: I87.2 Venous insufficiency (chronic) (peripheral) ("essential (primary) hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: Z15.3 Genetic susceptibility to kidney disease (", if applicable, hypertension (I10-I1A)")

Back-references to I10

• Use Additional: G31.84 Mild cognitive impairment of uncertain or unknown etiology ("hypertension (I10-I1A)")
• Code Also: H35.0 Background retinopathy and retinal vascular changes ("any associated hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: I16 Hypertensive crisis ("any identified hypertensive disease (I10-I15, I1A)")
• Code First: I1A.0 Resistant hypertension ("essential hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: I67.4 Hypertensive encephalopathy ("essential (primary) hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: I87.2 Venous insufficiency (chronic) (peripheral) ("essential (primary) hypertension (I10)")
• Code Also: Z15.3 Genetic susceptibility to kidney disease (", if applicable, hypertension (I10-I1A)")

Diagnosis Index entries for I10

• Hypertension, hypertensive (accelerated) (benign) (essential) (idiopathic) (malignant) (systemic)

Nearby codes

• I10 Essential (primary) hypertension (this code)