A49 vs A69.9
A49 and A69.9 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 A49
spirochetal infection NOS (A69.9)
A49
Bacterial infection of unspecified site
Not billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A30-A49
A69.9
Spirochetal infection, unspecified
BillableUnspecified
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A65-A69
Indexed under
- Spirochetosis
- Infection, infected, infective › spirochetal NOS (opportunistic)
- Spirochetosis › arthritic, arthritica
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