A49 vs B96
A49 (Bacterial infection of unspecified site) compared with B96 (Other bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), 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. A49 carries an Excludes1 note covering B96: “bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere (B95-B96)”
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
| A49Bacterial infection of unspecified site | B96Other bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) |
| Definition | Bacterial infection of unspecified site is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (A49). | Other bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (B96). |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources