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Billing and coding

ICD-10 codes for manic episodes

Manic episodes can fall under the F30 and F31 codes. Here’s what to know.

Proper documentation is essential for accurate billing and timely payment. Along with identifying a billing code. you’ll need to find the right ICD-10 code for a diagnosis to include in your session notes and insurance claim. 

Manic episodes, including single episodes and those in the context of bipolar disorders, are one diagnosis therapists frequently treat and bill. Below, learn more about ICD-10 codes for manic episodes to streamline your documentation and billing process as a therapist.

It’s important you make a clear, accurate and specific diagnosis that is appropriate to your individual patient clinical picture. These examples should be for reference and are not intended to guide a diagnosis. The client must meet diagnostic criteria for the F code they are assigned.

Understanding manic episodes in clinical practice

Manic episodes are a core feature of bipolar I disorder, characterized by a distinct period of abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable mood lasting at least one week (or any duration if hospitalization is required). 


During a period of mania, individuals may experience: 

  • Increased energy
  • Reduced need for sleep
  • Inflated self-esteem
  • Distractibility
  • Racing thoughts
  • Engagement in risky or impulsive behaviors
  • Psychotic features, such as delusions or hallucinations


Clinically, recognizing mania is critical because it often presents with functional impairment and can escalate quickly without intervention, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Differentiating mania from conditions like substance use, ADHD, or personality disorders is essential, as these may mimic manic symptoms.

Understanding manic episodes not only improves clinical outcomes but also ensures compliance with diagnostic and billing standards, supporting both effective care and timely reimbursement.

Specific ICD-10 codes for manic episodes

Manic episodes sometimes fall under the ICD-10 F code F30, or “Manic Episode.” They may also fall under ICD-10 F31, or “Bipolar Affective Disorder.” Which code you use depends on the patient’s history and prior diagnosis. 

Beneath F30 and F31 are several subtypes of manic episodes. It’s important to use the most accurate code possible when you’re diagnosing your client and filing insurance claims.

F30 codes for single manic episodes

F30 codes apply to clients experiencing a single, isolated manic episode without a prior bipolar diagnosis. These codes include: 

  • F30.9, Manic episode, unspecified: Used when a manic episode is present but details about severity or psychotic features are not documented.
  • F30.2, Manic episode, severe with psychotic symptoms: The individual has intense manic symptoms accompanied by delusions or hallucinations.
  • F30.3, Manic episode in partial remission: Symptoms of a prior manic episode are improving but not fully resolved.
  • F30.4, Manic episode in full remission: No significant manic symptoms remain; the episode has fully resolved.
  • F30.8, Other manic episodes: Used for atypical or uncommon presentations of mania that don't fit standard subtypes.
  • F30.10, Manic episode without psychotic symptoms, unspecified: Mania is present without psychotic features, but severity is not specified.
  • F30.11, Manic episode without psychotic symptoms, mild: Elevated mood and increased activity are noticeable but cause minimal functional impairment.
  • F30.12, Manic episode without psychotic symptoms, moderate: Symptoms are more disruptive and impair functioning but still lack psychosis.
  • F30.13, Manic episode without psychotic symptoms, severe: Marked manic symptoms significantly impair functioning, though psychotic features are absent.

F31 codes for bipolar disorder with current manic episodes

F31 codes apply to clients with established bipolar disorder who are currently experiencing a manic episode. They include: 

  • F31.10, Bipolar disorder, current episode manic without psychotic features, unspecified: A manic episode is present without psychosis, but the severity level is not documented.
  • F31.11, Bipolar disorder, current episode manic without psychotic features, mild: Mild manic symptoms that may cause noticeable changes in behavior but with limited impairment and no psychotic features.
  • F31.12, Bipolar disorder, current episode manic without psychotic features, moderate: Moderate mania that disrupts daily functioning but does not involve psychosis.
  • F31.13, Bipolar disorder, current episode manic without psychotic features, severe: Severe manic symptoms that significantly impair functioning, though psychotic features are absent.
  • F31.2, Bipolar disorder, current episode manic, severe with psychotic features: Intense manic episode with delusions or hallucinations, requiring urgent clinical attention.

Diagnostic documentation requirements for manic episodes

Proper documentation is essential for diagnosing and billing manic episodes. The below criteria from the DSM are typically involved in a manic episode: 


  • A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy, lasting at least 1 week and present most of the day, nearly every day (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).
  • During the period of mood disturbance and increased energy or activity, 3 (or more) of the following symptoms (4 if the mood is only irritable) are present to a significant degree and represent a noticeable change from usual behavior:


  1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity 
  2. Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep) 
  3. More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking 
  4. Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing 
  5. Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli), as reported or observed 
  6. Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation (i.e., purposeless, non-goal-directed activity) 
  7. Excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments) 


  • The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features. 
  • The episode is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., an abused drug, a medication, or other treatment) or to another medical condition.


Bipolar I disorder typically includes the above criteria for a manic episode and one previous major depressive episode. If you diagnose a client with manic episodes or bipolar disorder, you can create your treatment plan accordingly and use the correct CPT codes when you file insurance claims.

How Headway simplifies manic episode coding and billing

Headway takes the guesswork out of billing for manic episodes, ensuring accurate documentation and timely reimbursement. Our platform guides you through selecting the correct ICD-10 codes — like F30.10 for a manic episode without psychotic symptoms — and helps you align your clinical notes with payer expectations. 

With smart templates, auto-submission of claims, and real-time claim tracking, you can focus on client care instead of insurance paperwork. Headway also provides expert support to help you stay compliant with evolving billing requirements. Whether you're treating bipolar I or managing symptom flare-ups, Headway makes billing for manic episodes smooth, secure, and stress-free.

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