MCMCB Pro
R51.0

R51.0Headache with orthostatic component, not elsewhere classified

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

R51.0 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for headache with orthostatic component, not elsewhere classified. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

  • Headache with positional component, not elsewhere classified

Risk adjustment

R51.0 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.

Medicare coverage

R51.0 is named in 7 Medicare coverage policies 6 listing it as supporting medical necessity, and 1 listing it as NOT covered. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

  • A57497Billing and Coding: Chest X-Ray Policynot covered
  • A56273Billing and Coding: Chiropractic Services
  • A56799Billing and Coding: Visual Fields Testing
  • A57204Billing and Coding: MRI and CT Scans of the Head and Neck

How R51.0 is indexed

Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to R51.0.

  • Headachewithorthostatic component NEC
  • Headachewithpositional component NEC

Related codes at this level

Codes that share R51. If R51.0 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about R51.0

Is R51.0 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
Yes. R51.0 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does R51.0 sit in the tabular list?
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99), in the block General symptoms and signs (R50-R69).
ICD-10-CMFY2026-Apr· effective April 1, 2026

Loaded directly from the CMS/NCHS ICD-10-CM public-domain release — see data sources and our editorial policy. If this page disagrees with the CMS tabular list, this page is wrong. Reference information for professional coders; not medical or billing advice.