J02.0 vs J03
J02.0 (Streptococcal pharyngitis) compared with J03 (Acute tonsillitis), 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. J03 carries an Excludes1 note covering J02.0: “acute sore throat (J02.-)”
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. J03 carries an Excludes1 note covering J02.0: “streptococcal sore throat (J02.0)”
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
| J02.0Streptococcal pharyngitis | J03Acute tonsillitis | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Streptococcal pharyngitis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J02.0). | Acute tonsillitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J03). |
| Includes | acute sore throat Septic pharyngitis Streptococcal sore throat | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources