J20 vs J44
J20 (Acute bronchitis) compared with J44 (Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Can these codes be reported together?
Yes, when both are documented. J20 carries an Excludes2 note covering J44: “chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Yes, when both are documented. J20 carries an Excludes2 note covering J44: “chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| J20Acute bronchitis | J44Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Acute bronchitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J20). | Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J44). |
| Includes | acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis | asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction chronic bronchitis with emphysema |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources