Excludes1 pair

F82 vs R26-

F82 and R26 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 F82
abnormalities of gait and mobility (R26.-)
F82

Specific developmental disorder of motor function

Billable
Chapter 5
Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Section
F80-F89
Use when the record says
  • Clumsy child syndrome
  • Developmental coordination disorder
  • Developmental dyspraxia
Indexed under
  • Clumsiness, clumsy child syndrome
  • Dyspraxia › developmental (syndrome)
  • Retardation › motor function, specific
  • Syndrome › clumsiness, clumsy child
  • Syndrome › dyspraxia, developmental
R26

Abnormalities of gait and mobility

Not billable
Chapter 18
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
Section
R25-R29

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