A85 vs B02.0
A85 and B02.0 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 A85
encephalitis due to zoster (B02.0)
A85
Other viral encephalitis, not elsewhere classified
Not billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A80-A89
Use when the record says
- specified viral encephalomyelitis NEC
- specified viral meningoencephalitis NEC
B02.0
Zoster encephalitis
Billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- B00-B09
Use when the record says
- Zoster meningoencephalitis
Indexed under
- Encephalitis › herpes zoster (chronic) (hemorrhagic) (idiopathic) (nonepidemic) (spurious) (subacute)
- Encephalitis › in › zoster (chronic) (hemorrhagic) (idiopathic) (nonepidemic) (spurious) (subacute)
- Herpes, herpesvirus, herpetic › zoster › encephalitis
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