B50 vs B51
B50 (Plasmodium falciparum malaria) compared with B51 (Plasmodium vivax malaria), 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. B51 carries an Excludes1 note covering B50: “plasmodium vivax with Plasmodium falciparum (B50.-)”
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
| B50Plasmodium falciparum malaria | B51Plasmodium vivax malaria | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (B50). | Plasmodium vivax malaria is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (B51). |
| Includes | mixed infections of Plasmodium falciparum with any other Plasmodium species | mixed infections of Plasmodium vivax with other Plasmodium species, except Plasmodium falciparum |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources