Last updated November 2, 2026

Medical Coding For Abortion | Coding Clarified

Medical Coding for Abortion and Pregnancy Loss: ICD-10-CM and CPT Guide

Janine Mothershed

Quick answer: In ICD-10-CM, pregnancy loss and termination are coded in Chapter 15 with categories such as O03 (spontaneous abortion), O02.1 (missed abortion) and O04 (complications following termination of pregnancy), and an uncomplicated elective termination is reported with Z33.2. Procedures are reported with CPT codes 59812 to 59857 or, for medication abortion, HCPCS S codes where payers accept them. Older references that cite codes 634 to 636 are ICD-9 codes and must not be used.

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes

Code Description
O02.1 Missed abortion (early fetal death with retention of the products of conception)
O03.4 Incomplete spontaneous abortion without complication
O03.9 Complete or unspecified spontaneous abortion without complication
O03.0 to O03.3 Incomplete spontaneous abortion with complications, such as infection, hemorrhage or embolism
O03.5 to O03.89 Complete or unspecified spontaneous abortion with complications
O04.5 to O04.89 Complications following (induced) termination of pregnancy
O07.- Failed attempted termination of pregnancy
Z33.2 Encounter for elective termination of pregnancy
Z3A.- Weeks of gestation, when applicable

Ectopic pregnancy is coded in O00.-, and molar pregnancy in O01.-. Follow the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines in Section I.C.15.q for pregnancy with abortive outcome.

CPT and HCPCS Procedure Codes

Code Description
59812 Treatment of incomplete abortion, any trimester, completed surgically
59820 Treatment of missed abortion, completed surgically; first trimester
59821 Treatment of missed abortion, completed surgically; second trimester
59830 Treatment of septic abortion, completed surgically
59840 Induced abortion, by dilation and curettage
59841 Induced abortion, by dilation and evacuation
59850 to 59857 Induced abortion by intra-amniotic injection or vaginal suppository, with or without additional procedures
S0199 Medically induced abortion by oral ingestion of medication, including all associated services and supplies (accepted by some payers)

Codes 58120 (non-obstetrical dilation and curettage) and 59160 (postpartum curettage) do not describe abortion procedures and should not be used for them.

Payer and Compliance Considerations

  • Coverage rules for pregnancy termination vary widely by payer and by state. Verify coverage and any required documentation before billing.
  • Federal Medicaid funding is limited by law to specific circumstances, and some state Medicaid programs require modifiers or forms (for example, HCPCS modifier G7) to identify qualifying cases. Follow your state Medicaid manual.
  • Document the gestational age, method, medications and any complications so the correct diagnosis, procedure and Z3A codes can be assigned.
  • Protect patient privacy carefully, as this is sensitive health information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICD-10 code for a miscarriage?

Spontaneous abortion is coded in category O03, by whether it is incomplete or complete and whether there are complications. For example, O03.9 is complete or unspecified spontaneous abortion without complication.

What is the ICD-10 code for a missed abortion?

O02.1.

Are codes 634 to 636 valid?

No. Those are ICD-9-CM codes, which were replaced by ICD-10-CM on October 1, 2015.

How is surgical treatment of a missed abortion coded?

Use 59820 for the first trimester or 59821 for the second trimester.

Keep Learning OB Coding

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