Z55.6 Problems related to health literacy

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting.

Applicable to

• Difficulty understanding health related information
• Difficulty understanding medication instructions
• Problem completing medical forms

Applies from Z55 Problems related to education and literacy

Excludes1 (never code together)

• disorders of psychological development (F80-F89)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 951 in MDC 23.

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

• Unacceptable principal diagnosis: These codes describe a circumstance which influences care but is not a current illness or injury, or capture only an underlying condition, and are unacceptable as principal diagnosis.

Code annotations containing back-references to Z55.6

Back-references to Z55

• Type 2 Excludes: Z72 Problems related to lifestyle ("problems related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances (Z55-Z65)")
• Type 2 Excludes: Z73 Problems related to life management difficulty ("problems related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances (Z55-Z65)")

Diagnosis Index entries for Z55.6

• Difficult, difficulty (in) › understanding › health related information
• Difficult, difficulty (in) › understanding › medication instructions
• Illiteracy › health
• Problem (with) (related to) › completing medical forms
• Problem (with) (related to) › health literacy

Nearby codes

• Z55.1 Schooling unavailable and unattainable
• Z55.2 Failed school examinations
• Z55.3 Underachievement in school
• Z55.4 Educational maladjustment and discord with teachers and classmates
• Z55.5 Less than a high school diploma
• Z55.6 Problems related to health literacy (this code)
• Z55.8 Other problems related to education and literacy
• Z55.9 Problems related to education and literacy, unspecified