ICD10BillableValid for clinical use
ICD-10 Code B18.9: Chronic viral hepatitis, unspecified
Reviewed by HealthAssure Clinical TeamUpdated 26 May 2026
What is this code?
ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).
đź“‹Clinical overview
This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes chronic viral hepatitis. The most accurate code depends on whether the chronic infection is hepatitis B with delta-agent, hepatitis B without delta-agent, hepatitis C, other chronic viral hepatitis, or unspecified chronic viral hepatitis.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents chronic viral hepatitis, unspecified in a patient's medical record.
- May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
- This code can be used as a clinically usable diagnosis entry in standardized coding workflows.
What it does not mean
- A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
- A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.
đź©şClinical context
When commonly used
- Primary-care, gastroenterology, hepatology, infectious-disease, and follow-up documentation where chronic hepatitis monitoring, antiviral treatment planning, or liver-disease staging is part of the active assessment.
- Coding and utilization-review workflows where the chart identifies hepatitis type or delta-agent status and that detail changes final chronic-hepatitis code specificity.
Common management context
- Evaluation often includes liver-enzyme review, hepatitis-serology or viral-load context, fibrosis or cirrhosis assessment, antiviral-treatment planning, and surveillance follow-up.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies hepatitis B versus hepatitis C, delta-agent status, or another named chronic viral-hepatitis pattern.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Infectious Disease Specialist, General Physician, Gastroenterologist.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- This ICD-10 family captures chronic viral hepatitis across hepatitis-type patterns rather than acute viral hepatitis or unspecified nonchronic hepatitis alone.
- Hepatitis type and delta-agent detail are what drive final code specificity inside this chronic viral-hepatitis family.
- This title preserves unspecified chronic-viral-hepatitis detail; if the chart identifies hepatitis B, hepatitis C, delta-agent status, or another chronic hepatitis type more clearly, a more specific code may be used.
- Documentation that describes chronic viral hepatitis is coded differently depending on the documented hepatitis type and whether more specific chronic hepatitis B, C, or delta-agent detail is present.
Related codes to consider
B18.0Chronic viral hepatitis B with delta-agent
Related chronic-viral-hepatitis ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies hepatitis B versus hepatitis C, delta-agent status, or another specified chronic hepatitis pattern.
B18.1Chronic viral hepatitis B without delta-agent
Related chronic-viral-hepatitis ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies hepatitis B versus hepatitis C, delta-agent status, or another specified chronic hepatitis pattern.
B18.2Chronic viral hepatitis C
Related chronic-viral-hepatitis ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies hepatitis B versus hepatitis C, delta-agent status, or another specified chronic hepatitis pattern.
B18.8Other chronic viral hepatitis
Related chronic-viral-hepatitis ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies hepatitis B versus hepatitis C, delta-agent status, or another specified chronic hepatitis pattern.
Code hierarchy
chapter
1Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
block
B15-B19Viral hepatitis
category
B18Chronic viral hepatitis
currentB18
Official coding notes
Inclusion terms
- Carrier of unspecified viral hepatitis
Where you may see this code
You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records.
Related specialists
Infectious Disease SpecialistGeneral PhysicianGastroenterologist
Related codes
Sibling codes
Coverage-related procedures and services
CPT 74177high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, ABDOMEN AND PELVIS; WITH CONTRAST MATERIAL(S)
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 74176high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, ABDOMEN AND PELVIS; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 74178high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, ABDOMEN AND PELVIS; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL IN ONE OR BOTH BODY REGIONS, FOLLOWED BY CONTRAST MATERIAL(S) AND FURTHER SECTIONS IN ONE OR BOTH BODY REGIONS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 74160high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, ABDOMEN; WITH CONTRAST MATERIAL(S)
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 74150high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, ABDOMEN; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 74170high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, ABDOMEN; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL, FOLLOWED BY CONTRAST MATERIAL(S) AND FURTHER SECTIONS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
Mapped diagnoses and classifications
Coding guidelines
Compatibility
Legacy and official ICD code match exactly.
Legacy codes
B18.9
Common synonyms
Chronic viral hepatitis, unspecifiedChronic viral hepatitis
Frequently asked questions
About this content
This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.