E51.2 vs G32.8
E51.2 (Wernicke's encephalopathy) compared with G32.8 (Other specified degenerative disorders of nervous system in 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. G32.8 carries an Excludes1 note covering E51.2: “superior hemorrhagic polioencephalitis [Wernicke's encephalopathy] (E51.2)”
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
| E51.2Wernicke's encephalopathy | G32.8Other specified degenerative disorders of nervous system in diseases classified elsewhere | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | E00-E89 — Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases (E00-E89) | G00-G99 — Diseases of the Nervous System (G00-G99) |
| Definition | Wernicke's encephalopathy is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (E51.2). | Other specified degenerative disorders of nervous system in diseases classified elsewhere is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (G32.8). |
| Code first | — | underlying disease, such as: amyloidosis cerebral degeneration (E85.-) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources