R03.0 Elevated blood-pressure reading, without diagnosis of hypertension

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026.

Notes

• This category is to be used to record an episode of elevated blood pressure in a patient in whom no formal diagnosis of hypertension has been made, or as an isolated incidental finding.

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 314-316 in MDC 05.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 796.2 Elevated blood pressure reading without diagnosis of hypertension

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.

Diagnosis Index entries for R03.0

• Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities › blood pressure › elevated
• Blood › pressure › high › borderline
• Blood › pressure › high › incidental reading, without diagnosis of hypertension
• Borderline › hypertension
• Elevated, elevation › blood pressure › reading (incidental) (isolated) (nonspecific), no diagnosis of hypertension
• High › blood pressure › borderline
• High › blood pressure › reading (incidental) (isolated) (nonspecific), without diagnosis of hypertension
• Hypertension, hypertensive (accelerated) (benign) (essential) (idiopathic) (malignant) (systemic) › borderline
• Hypertension, hypertensive (accelerated) (benign) (essential) (idiopathic) (malignant) (systemic) › transient
• Tension › arterial, high › without diagnosis of hypertension

Nearby codes

• R03 Abnormal blood-pressure reading, without diagnosis
• R03.0 Elevated blood-pressure reading, without diagnosis of hypertension (this code)
• R03.1 Nonspecific low blood-pressure reading