F71 ICD-10-CA category: Moderate mental retardation

F71 isn’t a code on its own. Choose one of the 4 codes beneath it, the one the documentation supports.

Official description

F71

Moderate mental retardation

ICD-10-CA · Canada

Codes in F71

F71 isn’t a code on its own. Open the code that matches what the note documents.

Notes for F71

As CIHI prints them, with any note F71 takes from the headings above it.

Includes

  • Moderate mental subnormality
  • Disorders of psychological developmentFrom Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)

Use additional code

Add a code for this detail when the note documents it.

  • Use additional code, to identify associated conditions such as autism, other developmental disorders, epilepsy, conduct disorders, or severe physical handicap.From F70-F79 Mental retardation

Excludes

Conditions classified elsewhere.

  • Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)From Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)

Note

  • Approximate IQ range of 35 to 49 (in adults, mental age from 6 to under 9 years). Likely to result in marked developmental delays in childhood but most can learn to develop some degree of independence in self-care and acquire adequate communication and academic skills. Adults will need varying degrees of support to live and work in the community.
  • A condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind, which is especially characterized by impairment of skills manifested during the developmental period, skills which contribute to the overall level of intelligence, i.e. cognitive, language, motor, and social abilities. Retardation can occur with or without any other mental or physical condition.Degrees of mental retardation are conventionally estimated by standardized intelligence tests. These can be supplemented by scales assessing social adaptation in a given environment. These measures provide an approximate indication of the degree of mental retardation. The diagnosis will also depend on the overall assessment of intellectual functioning by a skilled diagnostician.Intellectual abilities and social adaptation may change over time, and, however poor, may improve as a result of training and rehabilitation. Diagnosis should be based on the current levels of functioning.From F70-F79 Mental retardation

Where F71 sits

  1. 1ChapterChapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
  2. 2Block F70-F79Mental retardation
  3. 3Category F71Moderate mental retardation

Source and release

Data release
ICD-10-CA · FY 2026–2027
Effective date
Apr 1, 2026
Publisher
CIHI

This page is built from the ICD-10-CA catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Canadian Institute for Health Information’s FY 2026–2027 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.

Frequently asked questions

Is F71 a valid ICD-10-CA code?

No. F71 (Moderate mental retardation) is a category heading in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release. It holds 4 codes; record the one the documentation supports.

Where is F71 in ICD-10-CA?

F71 sits under F70-F79 Mental retardation, within Chapter 5: Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99).

What coding notes apply to F71?

ICD-10-CA lists Note, Includes, Use additional code, Excludes notes for F71, including those from the headings it sits under. They are listed on this page with where each one comes from.

Which ICD-10-CA release does this page use?

It uses CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.