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J20.8 vs J44

J20.8 (Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms) compared with J44 (Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), from the official CMS tabular data.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because J20.8 lists J44 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule
What is different?

The conditions named and billing status.J20.8 is “Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms”; J44 is “Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”. J44 is a non-billable header; J20.8 is billable.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.J20.8 lists J44 under Excludes2: “chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.J20.8’s tabular entry: “chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)”. The note covers J44.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one a parent or header code?

One is a header.J44 is a non-billable header, but J20.8 is not one of its subdivisions.

Registry fact

Nothing found in 3 other checks; 1 check does not apply
Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code. J20.8 carries 2 Excludes1 notes and J44 carries 1 Excludes1 note covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is one more specific?

Not comparable.The codes sit in different categories; specificity is only comparable within one category.

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

J20.8
Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms
↔
J44
Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.J20.8 carries an Excludes2 note covering J44: “chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2

    A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2027

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

Similar descriptions do not make codes interchangeable. The documentation and the official instructions decide which code applies.

Official descriptionDiffers
J20.8

Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms

J44

Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

StatusDiffers
J20.8
Billable
J44
Non-billable header

A header is not reported on a claim; a code beneath it is.

Report instead: J44.0, J44.1, J44.81, J44.89, J44.9

Excludes1Differs
J20.8
  • bronchitis NOS (J40)
  • tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)
J44
  • bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
Excludes2Differs
Only at J20.8
  • acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
  • acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
  • acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
  • allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
  • bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
  • chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
  • chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
  • chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
  • chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)
Only at J44
  • bronchiectasis (J47.-)
  • chronic simple and mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.-)
  • chronic tracheitis (J42)
  • emphysema without chronic bronchitis (J43.-)
  • cystic fibrosis (E84.-)
Shared by both codes (2 notes)
  • chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
  • chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)
Code alsoDiffers
J20.8

None at this code

J44
  • type of asthma, if applicable (J45.-)
CategoryDiffers
J20.8

J20 Acute bronchitis

J44

Is itself a category

ChapterSame for both

J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)

IncludesDiffers
J20.8
  • acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm
  • acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis
  • acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute
  • acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis
J44
  • asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis
  • chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction
  • chronic bronchitis with emphysema

No Code first, Use additional code and 7th character note at either code.

Notes are the code’s own tabular entry, quoted as published. A note that names the other code is the one the verdict above rests on. In a row that differs, each code’s own notes are listed under it, and the notes every code shares are listed once beneath them.

Edit this comparisonCheck a whole claim

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources