2025 ICD-10-CM code Z77.1
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Deletion Date: N/A Factors influencing health status and contact with health services - Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services Feed
Contact with or suspected exposure to environmental pollution and hazards in the physical environment.
Modifiers are not typically applied to ICD-10 codes, including Z77.1.
Medical necessity for coding Z77.1 is established when there's a documented exposure or suspected exposure to a significant environmental hazard that poses a potential threat to the patient's health. The level of medical necessity will depend on the specific hazard, the intensity and duration of exposure, and the presence of any related symptoms or health problems.The physician's evaluation and management services should be medically necessary to determine the risk and provide appropriate management strategies.
The clinical responsibility involves assessing the patient's exposure to environmental hazards, evaluating potential health risks, and providing appropriate advice, monitoring, or treatment if necessary. This might involve taking a detailed history, performing a physical exam, ordering tests (e.g., blood tests, imaging), and providing preventative measures or treatment for any identified health problems.
In simple words: This code is used when someone has come into contact with or might have been exposed to things in the environment that could be harmful, like air or water pollution.It's used when this contact may affect their health, but they don't have a specific illness or injury.
This code is used to classify encounters for individuals who have had contact with or suspected exposure to environmental pollution and hazards in the physical environment.This includes situations where exposure is suspected but not definitively confirmed.The code is for use when this circumstance influences a person's health status but is not itself a current illness or injury. A procedure code must accompany this Z code if a procedure is performed.
Example 1: A patient presents to the clinic after being exposed to a significant air pollution event (e.g., wildfire smoke). The physician assesses their respiratory symptoms, orders pulmonary function tests, and provides recommendations for managing their symptoms and avoiding further exposure., A child is brought to the emergency department after accidentally ingesting contaminated water. The physician performs a thorough assessment, orders toxicology tests, and provides supportive care as needed. The Z77.1 code documents the environmental exposure, regardless of the specific illness or injury., A construction worker experiences prolonged exposure to asbestos.The physician conducts a comprehensive evaluation, including imaging and blood work.The Z77.1 code would document the exposure.Additional codes would be required to document any related diagnoses or procedures.
Detailed history of the exposure event, including location, duration, and type of pollution or hazard.Description of the patient's symptoms and physical examination findings.Results of any relevant diagnostic tests (e.g., blood tests, imaging studies, environmental testing).Physician's assessment of the patient's risk and recommendations for further management.Documentation of any procedures or treatments performed.
** This code should not be used as the primary diagnosis when a specific disease or injury resulting from the exposure is present.In such cases, code the specific disease or injury as the primary diagnosis and use Z77.1 as a secondary diagnosis to indicate the environmental exposure factor.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: Not applicable to ICD-10 codes.
- Specialties:Environmental Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine
- Place of Service:Office, Emergency Room - Hospital, Urgent Care Facility, Outpatient Hospital, Inpatient Hospital