J44.89 — Other specified chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Is J44.89 billable?
Yes, but J44.89 is an unspecified code. J44.89 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, J44.89 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 J44.89 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
More specific alternatives
J44.89 at a glance
| Code | J44.89 |
|---|---|
| Description | Other specified chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does J44.89 group to?
J44.89 sits in MDC 04 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.
- 190Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCCmedical
- 191Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CCmedical
- 192Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease without CC/MCCmedical
How is J44.89 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to J44.89. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Vanishing lung
- Asthma, asthmatic › chronic obstructive (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic)
- Bronchiolitis › chronic (acute) (infective) (subacute)
- Bronchitis › emphysematous (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis › obstructive (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Asthma, asthmatic › with › chronic obstructive bronchitis (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic)
- Asthma, asthmatic › with › chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic)
- Bronchitis › with › obstruction (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis › asthmatic › chronic (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis › chronic › asthmatic (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis › chronic › emphysematous (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis › chronic › obstructive (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to J44.89.
- Chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis
- Chronic emphysematous bronchitis
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from J40-J4B
The conditions below can never be reported together with J44.89 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 10
Report an additional code alongside J44.89 to fully describe the condition. J44.89 is sequenced first.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 10
The conditions below are not part of J44.89, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J44.89 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)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from J40-J4B
The conditions below are not part of J44.89, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J44.89 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- cystic fibrosis (E84.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from J44
The conditions below are not part of J44.89, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J44.89 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Code also — inherited from J44
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition fully. Whether J44.89 is sequenced first depends on the reason for the encounter.
- type of asthma, if applicable (J45.-)
How long has J44.89 existed?
J44.89 first appears in FY2024.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.