J03.0 vs J03.8
J03.0 (Streptococcal tonsillitis) compared with J03.8 (Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms), 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. J03.8 carries an Excludes1 note covering J03.0: “streptococcal tonsillitis (J03.0)”
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
| J03.0Streptococcal tonsillitis | J03.8Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Streptococcal tonsillitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J03.0). | Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J03.8). |
| Use additional code | — | code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent. |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources