FY2027
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Excludes1 pair

F17- vs Z72.0

F17 and Z72.0 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 F17
tobacco use NOS (Z72.0)
F17

Nicotine dependence

Not billable
Chapter 5
Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Section
F10-F19
Z72.0

Tobacco use

Billable
Chapter 21
Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
Section
Z69-Z76
Use when the record says
  • Tobacco use NOS
Indexed under
  • Tobacco › harmful use
  • Tobacco › use
  • Use › tobacco
  • Problem › life-style › tobacco use

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