2025 ICD-10-CM code Z59.00
Homelessness, unspecified.
Documenting homelessness helps providers and healthcare systems understand the social context of a patient's health, which can influence treatment plans, care coordination, and referrals to social services.It also allows for tracking the impact of homelessness on health outcomes and resource utilization.
Clinicians use this code to document homelessness as a social determinant of health that may be impacting the patient's overall health and access to care.It's important to understand the patient's specific situation to connect them with appropriate resources.
- Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)
- Persons with potential health hazards related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances (Z55-Z65)
In simple words: This code indicates that the patient is homeless.
This code is used to document a patient's status of being homeless, without any further specification as to whether they are sheltered or unsheltered.
Example 1: A 35-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a foot infection. During the social history intake, he reports living on the streets for the past six months. The code Z59.00 is used to document his homelessness., A 50-year-old female is seen at a free clinic for a routine check-up. She states that she recently lost her job and is currently staying in a temporary shelter.Z59.00 would be used in this case., A 25-year-old is admitted to the hospital for pneumonia.The patient reports living in their car. While this is a form of unsheltered homelessness, if further detail isn't documented, Z59.00 is the appropriate code.
Documentation should support the patient's homeless status. This might include patient self-report, information from social workers, or observation by healthcare providers.
** It's crucial to understand the context of homelessness.Homelessness is often linked to other social determinants of health such as lack of access to food, clean water, and stable housing, which can further impact health outcomes.
- Specialties:Any specialty can use this code as homelessness can affect patients across all areas of healthcare.
- Place of Service:Any place of service can be applicable.