ICD-10-CM Code For Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group D51 includes diagnoses related to anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency, covering pernicious anemia, dietary deficiency, and malabsorption-related causes. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document clinical scenarios involving macrocytic anemia with neurologic involvement or gastrointestinal absorption disorders, capturing disease severity and associated complications. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM D51 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

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ICD-10-CM D51: Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia Overview

The diagnoses in this group represent anemia caused by deficiency of vitamin B12, affecting red blood cell production and neurologic function when severe. These conditions target the hematologic system and often involve nutritional, malabsorptive, or autoimmune etiologies. Accurate coding matters for appropriate clinical documentation and can affect reimbursement based on documented severity and associated complications.

When to Use

Use a code from this group when a patient has laboratory and clinical evidence of vitamin B12 deficiency leading to anemia or related neurologic symptoms. Select the code that best reflects the documented etiology, such as pernicious anemia, dietary deficiency, or malabsorption, and note any associated complications for accurate reporting.

ICD-10-CM Codes

6 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
D51.0	Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to intrinsic factor deficiency
D51.1	Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to selective vitamin B12 malabsorption with proteinuria
D51.2	Transcobalamin II deficiency
D51.3	Other dietary vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
D51.8	Other vitamin B12 deficiency anemias
D51.9	Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, unspecified

DRG Codes

2 rows

DRG Code	Description
811	Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC
812	Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An elderly patient with progressive fatigue, pallor, paresthesias, and gait instability presents to primary care for evaluation of chronic neurologic symptoms. Laboratory testing shows macrocytic anemia with low serum vitamin B12 and positive anti–intrinsic factor antibodies suggesting pernicious anemia causing B12 deficiency; a diagnosis from this group is assigned to capture the underlying nutritional/megaloblastic etiology and autoimmune cause. Typical codes: D51.0, D51.9
A middle-aged patient with a history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reports new onset fatigue and glossitis during a routine postoperative clinic visit; labs show isolated low vitamin B12 without severe anemia. The clinical scenario represents B12 malabsorption after gastrointestinal surgery leading to deficiency, and a code from the group is used to document the nutritional deficiency related to prior surgery. Typical codes: D51.3
A hospitalized patient with chronic alcohol use disorder is admitted for decompensated heart failure and is found on admission workup to have macrocytic anemia due to dietary B12 deficiency contributing to delirium and poor functional status. In this acute-care comorbidity setting the B12 deficiency is coded to reflect a nutritional anemia complicating the inpatient course. Typical codes: D51.8, D51.9

Related Codes

D50-IRON-DEFICIENCY-ANEMIA

ICD-10-CM Code For Iron Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

D52-FOLATE-DEFICIENCY-ANEMIA

ICD-10-CM Code For Folate Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

D53-OTHER-NUTRITIONAL-ANEMIAS

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Nutritional Anemias: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

6 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
D51.0	Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to intrinsic factor deficiency
D51.1	Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to selective vitamin B12 malabsorption with proteinuria
D51.2	Transcobalamin II deficiency
D51.3	Other dietary vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
D51.8	Other vitamin B12 deficiency anemias
D51.9	Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, unspecified

DRG Codes

2 rows

DRG Code	Description
811	Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC
812	Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An elderly patient with progressive fatigue, pallor, paresthesias, and gait instability presents to primary care for evaluation of chronic neurologic symptoms. Laboratory testing shows macrocytic anemia with low serum vitamin B12 and positive anti–intrinsic factor antibodies suggesting pernicious anemia causing B12 deficiency; a diagnosis from this group is assigned to capture the underlying nutritional/megaloblastic etiology and autoimmune cause. Typical codes: D51.0, D51.9
A middle-aged patient with a history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reports new onset fatigue and glossitis during a routine postoperative clinic visit; labs show isolated low vitamin B12 without severe anemia. The clinical scenario represents B12 malabsorption after gastrointestinal surgery leading to deficiency, and a code from the group is used to document the nutritional deficiency related to prior surgery. Typical codes: D51.3
A hospitalized patient with chronic alcohol use disorder is admitted for decompensated heart failure and is found on admission workup to have macrocytic anemia due to dietary B12 deficiency contributing to delirium and poor functional status. In this acute-care comorbidity setting the B12 deficiency is coded to reflect a nutritional anemia complicating the inpatient course. Typical codes: D51.8, D51.9

Related Codes

D50-IRON-DEFICIENCY-ANEMIA

ICD-10-CM Code For Iron Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

D52-FOLATE-DEFICIENCY-ANEMIA

ICD-10-CM Code For Folate Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

D53-OTHER-NUTRITIONAL-ANEMIAS

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Nutritional Anemias: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

ICD-10-CM Code For Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM D51: Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM D51: Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which ICD-10-CM codes are included in the D51 group for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia?

How does accurate coding within the D51 group affect claims and documentation?

What clinical scenarios are captured by the D51 codes?

Which related DRGs are associated with the D51 diagnosis group?

How should unspecified or other vitamin B12 deficiency anemias be coded in this group?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which ICD-10-CM codes are included in the D51 group for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia?

How does accurate coding within the D51 group affect claims and documentation?

What clinical scenarios are captured by the D51 codes?

Which related DRGs are associated with the D51 diagnosis group?

How should unspecified or other vitamin B12 deficiency anemias be coded in this group?

References