J18 vs P24
J18 (Pneumonia, unspecified organism) compared with P24 (Neonatal aspiration), 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. J18 carries an Excludes1 note covering P24: “neonatal aspiration pneumonia (P24.-)”
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
| J18Pneumonia, unspecified organism | P24Neonatal aspiration | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | P00-P96 — Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period (P00-P96) |
| Definition | Pneumonia, unspecified organism is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J18). | Neonatal aspiration is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (P24). |
| Includes | — | aspiration in utero and during delivery |
| Use additional code | code, if applicable, to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-) | — |
| Code first | , if applicable, associated influenza (J09.X1, J10.0-, J11.0-) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources