J37.1 vs J42
J37.1 and J42 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 J37.1
chronic tracheitis (J42)
J37.1
Chronic laryngotracheitis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Use when the record says
- Laryngitis, chronic, with tracheitis (chronic)
- Tracheitis, chronic, with laryngitis
Indexed under
- Laryngotracheitis › atrophic (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Laryngotracheitis › catarrhal (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Laryngotracheitis › chronic (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Laryngotracheitis › hypertrophic (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Laryngotracheitis › sicca (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
J42
Unspecified chronic bronchitis
BillableUnspecified
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J40-J4B
Use when the record says
- Chronic bronchitis NOS
- Chronic tracheitis
- Chronic tracheobronchitis
Indexed under
- Pharyngotracheitis, chronic
- Bronchitis › chronic (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis › senile (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchorrhea › chronic
- Infection, infected, infective › trachea, chronic (opportunistic)
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