J38.00 — Paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, unspecified
Is J38.00 billable?
Yes, but J38.00 is an unspecified code. J38.00 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, J38.00 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting J38.00 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
J38.00 at a glance
| Code | J38.00 |
|---|---|
| Description | Paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does J38.00 group to?
J38.00 sits in MDC Pre and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 011Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with MCCsurgical
- 012Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with CCsurgical
- 013Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy without CC/MCCsurgical
How is J38.00 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to J38.00. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Laryngoplegia
- Gerhardt's › syndrome
- Paralysis, paralytic › glottis (complete) (incomplete)
- Paralysis, paralytic › laryngeal nerve (complete) (incomplete)
- Paralysis, paralytic › larynx (complete) (incomplete)
- Paralysis, paralytic › vocal cords (complete) (incomplete)
- Compression › laryngeal nerve, recurrent › with paralysis of vocal cords and larynx
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from J38
The conditions below can never be reported together with J38.00 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 10
Report an additional code alongside J38.00 to fully describe the condition. J38.00 is sequenced first.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 10
The conditions below are not part of J38.00, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J38.00 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
How long has J38.00 existed?
J38.00 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.