What codes are used for SDOH?

• A. CPT codes
• B. ICD-9 codes
• C. SNOMED CT codes
• D. ICD-10 Z codes

Answer: (D)

Understanding social determinants of health is encoded with ICD-10-CM Z codes. These codes are specifically designed to document non-medical factors that influence health—like housing and economic circumstances, education, employment, and the social environment. Recording these Z codes alongside diagnostic codes helps capture the full context of a patient’s health and supports care planning, coordination, and public health insight. For example, Z codes include issues such as housing problems or poverty-related factors. Other coding systems serve different purposes: CPT codes cover procedures and services, ICD-9 is an older standard no longer in active use in most settings, and SNOMED CT is a comprehensive clinical terminology that can map to Z codes but is not the standard billing code used to document SDOH.