A87.9 vs A88
A87.9 (Viral meningitis, unspecified) compared with A88 (Other viral infections of central nervous system, not elsewhere classified), 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. A88 carries an Excludes1 note covering A87.9: “viral meningitis NOS (A87.9)”
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
| A87.9Viral meningitis, unspecified | A88Other viral infections of central nervous system, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) |
| Definition | Viral meningitis, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (A87.9). | Other viral infections of central nervous system, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (A88). |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources