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

The ICD-10-CM code for Elevated blood-pressure reading, without diagnosis of hypertension is R03.0 (FY2026). It is a billable, claim-ready diagnosis code.

Classification

Chapter

18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Section

R00-R09: Symptoms and signs involving the circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09)

Category R03

3 codes (2 billable)

FY2026 Status

Stable since FY2024

Also Known As

ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index entries that lead to R03.0:

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

U.S. Hospital Utilization

• An estimated 131,260 U.S. inpatient stays in 2023 included R03.0 among the documented diagnoses.
• 60 stays listed it as the principal diagnosis.

Source: National Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2016–2023. National survey-weighted estimates.

Official Coding Guidelines

Hypertension, Transient

7) Hypertension, Transient Assign code R03.0, Elevated blood pressure reading without diagnosis of hypertension, unless patient has an established diagnosis of hypertension. Assign code O13.-, Gestational [pregnancy-induced] hypertension without significant proteinuria, or O14.-, Pre-eclampsia, for transient hypertension of pregnancy.

Repeated falls vs history of falling

d. Repeated falls Code R29.6, Repeated falls, is for use for encounters when a patient has recently fallen and the reason for the fall is being investigated. Code Z91.81, History of falling, is for use when a patient has fallen in the past and is at risk for future falls. When appropriate, both codes R29.6 and Z91.81 may be assigned together.

Source: CMS — ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY2026

References

• CMS — ICD-10-CM Official Code Set and Guidelines, FY2026
• CDC/NCHS — ICD-10-CM Files and Browser Tool
• AHRQ — HCUP National Inpatient Sample, Frequencies by Diagnosis Code (2016–2023)