G54 vs M50

G54 (Nerve root and plexus disorders) compared with M50 (Cervical disc disorders), 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. G54 carries an Excludes1 note covering M50: “intervertebral disc disorders (M50-M51)”

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

	G54Nerve root and plexus disorders	M50Cervical disc disorders
Billing status	Non-billable header Report instead: G54.0, G54.1, G54.2, G54.3, G54.4	Non-billable header Report instead: M50.00, M50.01, M50.020, M50.021, M50.022
Classification	G00-G99 — Diseases of the Nervous System (G00-G99)	M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
Definition	Nerve root and plexus disorders is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (G54).	Cervical disc disorders is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M50).
Includes	—	cervicothoracic disc disorders with cervicalgia cervicothoracic disc disorders

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources