Z59.4Lack of adequate food

Z59.4 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for lack of adequate food. It belongs to category Z59 (problems related to housing and economic circumstances), block Z55-Z65 (persons with potential health hazards related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances) and chapter 21 (factors influencing health status and contact with health services). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 2 subcodes must be used instead.

Within Z59 (problems related to housing and economic circumstances), Z59.4 is specifically for lack of adequate food. Related codes cover homelessness (Z59.0), inadequate housing (Z59.1), discord with neighbors, lodgers and landlord (Z59.2), problems related to living in residential institution (Z59.3), extreme poverty (Z59.5), low income (Z59.6), insufficient social insurance and welfare support (Z59.7), other problems related to housing and economic circumstances (Z59.8) and 1 more.

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: Z59.41 (insecurity) and Z59.48 (food).

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of Z59.4, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: deprivation of food (T73.0), effects of hunger (T73.0), inappropriate diet or eating habits (Z72.4) and malnutrition (E40-E46).

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015, and changed in FY2022 (title revised).

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as V60.2 (inadequate material resources).