E88.A vs R64
E88.A (Wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition) compared with R64 (Cachexia), 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. E88.A carries an Excludes1 note covering R64: “cachexia NOS (R64)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
No — do not report together. R64 carries an Excludes1 note covering E88.A: “cachexia due to underlying condition (E88.A)”
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
| E88.AWasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition | R64Cachexia | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | E00-E89 — Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases (E00-E89) | R00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99) |
| Definition | Wasting disease (syndrome) due to underlying condition is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (E88.A). | Cachexia is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R64). |
| Includes | Cachexia due to underlying condition | — |
| Use additional code | codes for associated conditions | — |
| Code first | underlying condition | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources