A49.02 vs Z16
A49.02 (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, unspecified site) compared with Z16 (Resistance to antimicrobial drugs), 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. Z16 carries an Excludes1 note covering A49.02: “Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection (A49.02)”
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
| A49.02Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, unspecified site | Z16Resistance to antimicrobial drugs | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) | Z00-Z99 — Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services (Z00-Z99) |
| Definition | Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, unspecified site is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (A49.02). | Resistance to antimicrobial drugs is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Z16). |
| Includes | Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection | — |
| Code first | — | the infection |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources