ICD-10-CM “Z codes” for SDOH Remain Mostly Untapped

In FY 2016, the Tenth Revision to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems introduced Z codes to document social determinants of health (SDOH) among patients seeking care. Based upon a study of commercial claims processed from 2016 to 2022 and published in the May 2025 edition of Health Affairs, it is clear that the codes are not used with any consistency across patient demographics and adoption of Z codes in general continues lagging.