Compare ICD-10 Codes Side by Side
Choosing between two similar diagnosis codes? Compare two or three ICD-10-CM or HCPCS Level II codes and get a structured, side-by-side report built entirely from the official CMS tabular data.
Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 20, 2026 · All releases and sources
What the comparison shows
- Can these codes be reported together? Excludes1 conflicts are flagged with the official note quoted, including the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines Section I.A.12.a exception; Excludes2 pairs are shown as reportable when both conditions are documented.
- Sequencing on the claim — which code goes first, derived from cross-matched Code First and Use Additional Code instructions.
- Side-by-side attributes — billable status, classification, official definition, inclusion terms and instructional notes, one column per code, so differences are visible at a glance.
Common comparisons include E11.9 vs E10.9 (type 2 vs type 1 diabetes), I11.0 vs I50.9 (hypertensive heart disease and heart failure), and any code against the alternatives named in its own Excludes notes.
Checking a whole claim instead? Use the Claim Check tool. Or browse the full ICD-10-CM and HCPCS registry.
Frequently asked questions
Can two ICD-10 codes be reported together?
Usually yes, unless the ICD-10-CM tabular list puts them in an Excludes1 relationship. Excludes1 means "not coded here" — the two are generally not reported together for the same encounter, with the exception Official Guidelines Section I.A.12.a states for conditions documented as unrelated to each other. The comparison flags any Excludes1 note that names the other code and quotes the official wording, so you can see the instruction rather than take the verdict on trust.
What is the difference between Excludes1 and Excludes2?
Excludes1 means the excluded code should generally not be reported together with this code — reporting both is an error, with one exception: Official Guidelines Section I.A.12.a allows both when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other. Excludes2 is different: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes are reportable whenever both are documented.
Which of the two codes is sequenced first on the claim?
The comparison cross-matches each code's Code First and Use Additional Code instructions against the other code. When one code instructs you to code the other first — for example hypertensive heart disease with heart failure (I11.0) before the heart failure code (I50.-) — the report names the required order and quotes the instruction it came from. When neither code carries an instruction covering the other, no sequencing rule applies between them.
How many codes can I compare at once?
Up to three, side by side. For a whole claim — every pair checked against every other, plus billable status, 7th-character and principal-diagnosis edits, the supported NCCI procedure-to-procedure and MUE rules, the modifiers on each line, Medicare National Coverage Determination code lists and MS-DRG grouping — use the Claim Check tool instead.
Where does the comparison data come from?
The CMS and CDC release files for ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, and the CMS HCPCS Level II release, for the current fiscal year — with their official titles, billable status and tabular instructional notes. No coding fact is AI-generated — a code appears only where an official registry row exists. CPT is copyrighted by the AMA and is not published here.
Is the comparison tool free?
Yes, and it needs no account. Signing in is optional and only adds saved work — it changes nothing about the comparison itself.