Excludes1 pair
J38- vs J95.5
J38 and J95.5 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 J38
postprocedural subglottic stenosis (J95.5)
J38
Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
J95.5
Postprocedural subglottic stenosis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J95
Indexed under
- Complication › surgical procedure › subglottic stenosis (postsurgical)
- Stenosis, stenotic › subglottic › postprocedural
- Complication › respiratory system › postoperative › subglottic stenosis
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