Excludes1 pair
A49- vs A69.9
A49 and A69.9 are not coded together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note — the two conditions are not expected to occur together, so exactly one of them is normally correct for a given encounter. The Official Guidelines carve out one exception: if the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, both may be reported.
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
- 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