FY2027
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Excludes1 pair

F84.3 vs F84.5

F84.3 and F84.5 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 F84.3
Asperger's syndrome (F84.5)
F84.3

Other childhood disintegrative disorder

Billable
Chapter 5
Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Section
F80-F89
Use when the record says
  • Dementia infantilis
  • Disintegrative psychosis
  • Heller's syndrome
  • Symbiotic psychosis
Indexed under
  • Heller's disease or syndrome
  • Dementia › infantile, infantilis
  • Disorder › childhood disintegrative NEC
  • Disorder › disintegrative, childhood NEC
  • Psychosis, psychotic › disintegrative (childhood)
F84.5

Asperger's syndrome

Billable
Chapter 5
Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Section
F80-F89
Use when the record says
  • Asperger's disorder
  • Autistic psychopathy
  • Schizoid disorder of childhood
Indexed under
  • Asperger's disease or syndrome
  • Disorder › schizoid of childhood
  • Psychopathy, psychopathic › autistic
  • Schizophrenia, schizophrenic › syndrome of childhood

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