A39.84 vs M02
A39.84 (Postmeningococcal arthritis) compared with M02 (Postinfective and reactive arthropathies), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. M02 carries an Excludes1 note covering A39.84: “postmeningococcal arthritis (A39.84)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| A39.84Postmeningococcal arthritis | M02Postinfective and reactive arthropathies | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) |
| Definition | Postmeningococcal arthritis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (A39.84). | Postinfective and reactive arthropathies is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M02). |
| Code first | — | underlying disease, such as: congenital syphilis [Clutton's joints] (A50.5) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources