What is ICD-10 code F43.12?

F43.12 is the ICD-10-CM code for Post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic. It sits in subcategory F43.1 (Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), alongside F43.10 (unspecified) and F43.11 (acute). The tabular list includes "Traumatic neurosis" under F43.1, and the Alphabetic Index sends "Disorder, post-traumatic stress, chronic" to F43.12.

Is F43.12 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes, F43.12 is a billable code in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM code set (effective October 1, 2026). F43.1 itself is a category header; the billable PTSD codes are F43.10, F43.11, and F43.12.

How long must PTSD last to be coded as chronic?

The ICD-10-CM tabular list does not define a duration for "chronic". The acute and chronic specifiers come from DSM-IV; DSM-5 removed them because they lacked scientific support (Levin et al., 2014). Code F43.12 when the clinician documents the PTSD as chronic, and record the time since onset so the choice is clear to a reviewer. When the record does not say acute or chronic, F43.10 is the code.

What is the difference between F43.10, F43.11, and F43.12?

All three record PTSD. F43.10 is PTSD, unspecified, used when the course is not documented; it is the code DSM-5-TR lists for PTSD. F43.11 is PTSD documented as acute, and F43.12 is PTSD documented as chronic.

What are the diagnostic criteria for PTSD?

DSM-5-TR requires exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, followed by symptoms from four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in arousal and reactivity. Symptoms must last more than 1 month, cause clinically significant distress or impairment, and not be attributable to a substance or another medical condition. PTSD can only be diagnosed at least 1 month after the trauma.

What scale is used to screen for F43.12?

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms. In a veteran sample checked against the CAPS-5 interview, scores of 31 to 33 were the most efficient cutoff for probable PTSD, with good internal consistency (alpha 0.96) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.84) (Bovin et al., 2016). Repeating the PCL-5 shows change over the course of care.

Can PTSD begin long after the trauma?

Yes. The Merck Manual notes that PTSD can develop months or even years after the trauma without earlier problems being obvious. DSM-5-TR keeps a "with delayed expression" specifier for presentations where full criteria are not met until at least 6 months after the event.

How is chronic PTSD treated?

According to the Merck Manual, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest evidence of efficacy for most people with PTSD, with patient education, cognitive restructuring, and exposure as core components. SSRIs improve PTSD symptoms, but the evidence for medication is weaker than for trauma-focused psychotherapy.

F43.12ICD-10-CMPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic

Official ICD-10-CM descriptor: Post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic · Category header, not billable: use a more specific code

Post-traumatic stress disorder documented as chronic, with intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in mood and thinking, and arousal symptoms that persist after exposure to a traumatic event.

F43.12 at a glance

ICD-10-CM F43.12
Trauma
Category header, not billable: use a more specific code
Recommended screener
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
View scale
Billing the screening
In the US, administering and scoring the scale usually bills under CPT 96127; the session itself under 90791 or 90834/90837. Coverage varies by payer.

DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria summary

PTSD requires:

Criterion A (Exposure): actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, experienced directly, witnessed, learned of in a close family member or friend, or through repeated exposure to aversive details.
Intrusion: recurrent intrusive memories, distressing dreams, flashbacks, or distress and physiological reactions to reminders.
Avoidance: persistent avoidance of trauma-related memories, thoughts, or external reminders.
Negative changes in thinking and mood: for example, persistent negative beliefs, distorted blame, detachment, or inability to feel positive emotions.
Changes in arousal and reactivity: for example, irritability, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle, concentration problems, or sleep disturbance.
Duration of more than 1 month, with clinically significant distress or impairment, not attributable to a substance or another medical condition.

DSM-5-TR does not divide PTSD into acute and chronic forms; DSM-5 removed those specifiers from DSM-IV (Levin et al., 2014). ICD-10-CM keeps the split in its codes but gives no duration for it, so F43.12 rests on the clinician documenting the course as chronic.

Source: Barnhill, J. W. (2026). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Merck Manual Professional Edition, summarizing DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / National Center for Health Statistics. ICD-10-CM Tabular List and Index, FY2027.

Differential diagnosis

PTSD, Unspecified (F43.10), when the record does not document the course.
PTSD, Acute (F43.11), when the PTSD is documented as acute.
Acute Stress Reaction (F43.0), symptoms in the first month after the trauma.
Adjustment Disorders (F43.2-), distress after a stressor that does not meet PTSD Criterion A; see F43.22.
Prolonged Grief Disorder (F43.81), after a death.
Major Depressive Disorder (F32.-, F33.-) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (F41.1), which can share symptoms with PTSD and often co-occur.

Common comorbidities

PTSD frequently co-occurs with depression, anxiety, and substance use. Co-administer the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and AUDIT alongside the PCL-5, and code each condition that meets criteria.

Documentation patterns

Initial visit: the traumatic event and its date, symptom onset, PCL-5 score, the symptoms in each cluster, functional impact, and the clinician's statement that the course is chronic.
Follow-up visits: repeat the PCL-5 to track change during trauma-focused care, and keep the course documented on each claim that uses F43.12.

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Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code F43.12?
F43.12 is the ICD-10-CM code for Post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic. It sits in subcategory F43.1 (Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), alongside F43.10 (unspecified) and F43.11 (acute). The tabular list includes "Traumatic neurosis" under F43.1, and the Alphabetic Index sends "Disorder, post-traumatic stress, chronic" to F43.12.
Is F43.12 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
Yes, F43.12 is a billable code in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM code set (effective October 1, 2026). F43.1 itself is a category header; the billable PTSD codes are F43.10, F43.11, and F43.12.
How long must PTSD last to be coded as chronic?
The ICD-10-CM tabular list does not define a duration for "chronic". The acute and chronic specifiers come from DSM-IV; DSM-5 removed them because they lacked scientific support (Levin et al., 2014). Code F43.12 when the clinician documents the PTSD as chronic, and record the time since onset so the choice is clear to a reviewer. When the record does not say acute or chronic, F43.10 is the code.
What is the difference between F43.10, F43.11, and F43.12?
All three record PTSD. F43.10 is PTSD, unspecified, used when the course is not documented; it is the code DSM-5-TR lists for PTSD. F43.11 is PTSD documented as acute, and F43.12 is PTSD documented as chronic.
What are the diagnostic criteria for PTSD?
DSM-5-TR requires exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, followed by symptoms from four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in arousal and reactivity. Symptoms must last more than 1 month, cause clinically significant distress or impairment, and not be attributable to a substance or another medical condition. PTSD can only be diagnosed at least 1 month after the trauma.
What scale is used to screen for F43.12?
The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms. In a veteran sample checked against the CAPS-5 interview, scores of 31 to 33 were the most efficient cutoff for probable PTSD, with good internal consistency (alpha 0.96) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.84) (Bovin et al., 2016). Repeating the PCL-5 shows change over the course of care.
Can PTSD begin long after the trauma?
Yes. The Merck Manual notes that PTSD can develop months or even years after the trauma without earlier problems being obvious. DSM-5-TR keeps a "with delayed expression" specifier for presentations where full criteria are not met until at least 6 months after the event.
How is chronic PTSD treated?
According to the Merck Manual, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest evidence of efficacy for most people with PTSD, with patient education, cognitive restructuring, and exposure as core components. SSRIs improve PTSD symptoms, but the evidence for medication is weaker than for trauma-focused psychotherapy.

Sources

1. 1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). ICD-10-CM Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries, FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026).
2. 2.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries, FY2027.
3. 3.Barnhill, J. W. (2026). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Merck Manual Professional Edition.
1. 4.Levin, A. P., Kleinman, S. B., & Adler, J. S. (2014). DSM-5 and posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 42(2), 146–158. PMID: 24986341.
2. 5.Bovin, M. J., Marx, B. P., Weathers, F. W., Gallagher, M. W., Rodriguez, P., Schnurr, P. P., & Keane, T. M. (2016). Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth Edition (PCL-5) in veterans. Psychological Assessment, 28(11), 1379–1391.
3. 6.American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR).