FY2027
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Excludes1 pair

K72- vs K75.9

K72 and K75.9 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 K75.9
acute or subacute hepatitis (K72.0-)
K72

Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified

Not billable
Chapter 11
Diseases of the digestive system
Section
K70-K77
Use when the record says
  • fulminant hepatitis NEC, with hepatic failure
  • liver (cell) necrosis with hepatic failure
  • malignant hepatitis NEC, with hepatic failure
  • yellow liver atrophy or dystrophy
K75.9

Inflammatory liver disease, unspecified

BillableUnspecified
Chapter 11
Diseases of the digestive system
Section
K70-K77
Use when the record says
  • Hepatitis NOS
Indexed under
  • Hepatitis
  • Disease, diseased › liver › inflammatory

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