J30 vs J31.0
J30 and J31.0 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 J30
rhinitis NOS (J31.0)
J30
Vasomotor and allergic rhinitis
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Use when the record says
- spasmodic rhinorrhea
J31.0
Chronic rhinitis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Use when the record says
- Atrophic rhinitis (chronic)
- Granulomatous rhinitis (chronic)
- Hypertrophic rhinitis (chronic)
- Obstructive rhinitis (chronic)
- Ozena
- Purulent rhinitis (chronic)
- Rhinitis (chronic) NOS
- Ulcerative rhinitis (chronic)
Indexed under
- Ozena
- Rhinitis (atrophic) (catarrhal) (chronic) (croupous) (fibrinous) (granulomatous) (hyperplastic) (hypertrophic) (membranous) (obstructive) (purulent) (suppurative) (ulcerative)
- Atrophy, atrophic › rhinitis (of)
- Catarrh, catarrhal › chronic (acute) (febrile) (infectious) (inflammation)
- Congestion, congestive › catarrhal
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