J05.0 vs J38
J05.0 (Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup]) compared with J38 (Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified), 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. J38 carries an Excludes1 note covering J05.0: “obstructive laryngitis (acute) (J05.0)”
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
| J05.0Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup] | J38Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup] is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J05.0). | Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J38). |
| Includes | Obstructive laryngitis (acute) NOS Obstructive laryngotracheitis NOS | — |
| 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