C70 vs C72
C70 (Malignant neoplasm of meninges) compared with C72 (Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord, cranial nerves and other parts of central nervous system), 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. C72 carries an Excludes1 note covering C70: “malignant neoplasm of meninges (C70.-)”
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
| C70Malignant neoplasm of meninges | C72Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord, cranial nerves and other parts of central nervous system | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49) | C00-D49 — Neoplasms (C00-D49) |
| Definition | Malignant neoplasm of meninges is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C70). | Malignant neoplasm of spinal cord, cranial nerves and other parts of central nervous system is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C72). |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources