J69.0 — Pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit
Is J69.0 billable?
Yes — J69.0 is billable for FY2027. J69.0 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. J69.0 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
J69.0 at a glance
| Code | J69.0 |
|---|---|
| Description | Pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does J69.0 group to?
J69.0 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.
- 177Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCCmedical
- 178Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CCmedical
- 179Respiratory Infections and Inflammations without CC/MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, J69.0 is a major complication or comorbidity (MCC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is J69.0 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to J69.0. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Aspiration › bronchitis
- Aspiration › pneumonia
- Aspiration › pneumonitis
- Bronchitis › aspiration (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Deglutition › pneumonia
- Pneumonia › aspiration (acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved)
- Pneumonitis › aspiration (acute) (primary)
- Injury › lung › aspiration
- Pneumonitis › due to › food, vomit (acute) (primary)
- Injury › intrathoracic › lung › aspiration
- Pneumonia › aspiration › due to › food (acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved)
- Pneumonia › aspiration › due to › gastric secretions (acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved)
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with J69.0 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Code also
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition fully. Whether J69.0 is sequenced first depends on the reason for the encounter.
- any associated foreign body in respiratory tract (T17.-)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to J69.0.
- Aspiration pneumonia NOS
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) food (regurgitated)
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) gastric secretions
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) milk
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) vomit
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from J69
The conditions below can never be reported together with J69.0 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 J69.0 to fully describe the condition. J69.0 is sequenced first.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 10
The conditions below are not part of J69.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J69.0 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 J60-J70
The conditions below are not part of J69.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J69.0 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Code also — inherited from J69
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition fully. Whether J69.0 is sequenced first depends on the reason for the encounter.
How long has J69.0 existed?
J69.0 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.
Which codes are confused with J69.0?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with J69.0 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.