Excludes1 pair
J45- vs J60
J45 and J60 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 J45
miner's asthma (J60)
J45
Asthma
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J40-J4B
Use when the record says
- allergic (predominantly) asthma
- allergic bronchitis NOS
- allergic rhinitis with asthma
- atopic asthma
- extrinsic allergic asthma
- hay fever with asthma
- idiosyncratic asthma
- intrinsic nonallergic asthma
J60
Coalworker's pneumoconiosis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J60-J70
Use when the record says
- Anthracosilicosis
- Anthracosis
- Black lung disease
- Coalworker's lung
Indexed under
- Anthracosilicosis
- Anthracosis (lung) (occupational)
- Carbon lung
- Coalworker's lung or pneumoconiosis
- Collier's asthma or lung
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