J42 vs J44
J42 and J44 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 J42
chronic asthmatic bronchitis (J44.-)
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)
J44
Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J40-J4B
Use when the record says
- asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis
- chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction
- chronic bronchitis with emphysema
- chronic emphysematous bronchitis
- chronic obstructive asthma
- chronic obstructive bronchitis
- chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis
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