A06.5 vs J99
A06.5 and J99 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on J99
amebiasis (A06.5)
A06.5
Amebic lung abscess
Billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A00-A09
Use when the record says
- Amebic abscess of lung (and liver)
Indexed under
- Abscess › amebic › lung (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › lung › amebic (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › liver › amebic › with › lung abscess (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
- Abscess › lung › amebic › with › pneumonia (connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
J99
Respiratory disorders in diseases classified elsewhere
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J96-J99
Indexed under
- Bronchomycosis NOS
- Pneumomycosis
- Amyloidosis › with lung involvement (generalized) (primary)
- Amyloidosis › pulmonary (generalized) (primary)
- Amyloidosis › subglottic (generalized) (primary)
These two codes sit in different chapters of the Tabular List, which is usually the clearest signal that they describe different underlying processes rather than different degrees of the same one.
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027