Excludes1 pair
H65- vs H74.1-
H65 and H74.1 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 H74.1
glue ear (H65.3-)
H65
Nonsuppurative otitis media
Not billable
- Chapter 8
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
- Section
- H65-H75
Use when the record says
- nonsuppurative otitis media with myringitis
H74.1
Adhesive middle ear disease
Not billable
- Chapter 8
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
- Section
- H65-H75
Use when the record says
- Adhesive otitis
Indexed under
- Adhesions, adhesive › ear › middle
- Disorder › ear › middle › adhesive
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