ICDcodes.org
FY2027

J70.9 — Respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent

BillableUnspecified

Is J70.9 billable?

Yes, but J70.9 is an unspecified code. J70.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, J70.9 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 J70.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.

J70.9 at a glance

CodeJ70.9
DescriptionRespiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent
BillableYes
Code setICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encountersOctober 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Which MS-DRGs does J70.9 group to?

J70.9 sits in MDC 04 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.

  • 205Other Respiratory System Diagnoses with MCCmedical
  • 206Other Respiratory System Diagnoses without MCCmedical

How is J70.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?

These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to J70.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.

  • Disease, diseased › respiratory › due to › external agent
  • Edema, edematous › lung › due to › external agent (infectious) (pitting) (toxic)
  • Disease, diseased › respiratory › acute or subacute NOS › due to › external agent
  • Disease, diseased › respiratory › chronic NOS › due to › external agent
  • Edema, edematous › lung › chronic › due to › external agent (infectious) (pitting) (toxic)

Code first

The underlying condition below must be sequenced before J70.9. J70.9 describes a manifestation and cannot be the principal or first-listed diagnosis.

  • (T51-T65) to identify the external agent

Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 10

Report an additional code alongside J70.9 to fully describe the condition. J70.9 is sequenced first.

  • code, where applicable, to identify:
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
  • exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
  • history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
  • tobacco dependence (F17.-)
  • tobacco use (Z72.0)

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 10

The conditions below are not part of J70.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J70.9 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 J70.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, J70.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.

  • asthma (J45.-)
  • malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung (C34.-)

How long has J70.9 existed?

J70.9 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 conditions are coded to J70.9?

What other codes are in the J70 family? (7)