A87 vs B00.3
A87 and B00.3 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 A87
meningitis due to herpesvirus [herpes simplex] (B00.3)
B00.3
Herpesviral meningitis
Billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- B00-B09
Indexed under
- Herpes, herpesvirus, herpetic › meningitis
- Meningitis › in › herpesvirus (basal) (basic) (brain) (cerebral) (cervical) (congestive) (diffuse) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (membranous) (metastatic) (nonspecific) (pontine) (progressive) (simple) (spinal) (subacute) (sympathetic) (toxic)
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