Excludes1 pair
K13.2- vs K13.3
K13.2 and K13.3 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 K13.2
hairy leukoplakia (K13.3)
K13.2
Leukoplakia and other disturbances of oral epithelium, including tongue
Not billable
- Chapter 11
- Diseases of the digestive system
- Section
- K00-K14
K13.3
Hairy leukoplakia
Billable
- Chapter 11
- Diseases of the digestive system
- Section
- K00-K14
Indexed under
- Leukoplakia › hairy (oral mucosa) (tongue)
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