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J38.7 vs M12

J38.7 (Other diseases of larynx) compared with M12 (Other and unspecified arthropathy), 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. M12 carries an Excludes1 note covering J38.7: “cricoarytenoid arthropathy (J38.7)”

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

J38.7Other diseases of larynxM12Other and unspecified arthropathy
Billing statusBillableNon-billable header

Report instead: M12.00, M12.011, M12.012, M12.019, M12.021

ClassificationJ00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionOther diseases of larynx is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J38.7).Other and unspecified arthropathy is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M12).
Includes
Abscess of larynx
Cellulitis of larynx
Disease of larynx NOS
Necrosis of larynx

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources