J39 vs J68.2
J39 (Other diseases of upper respiratory tract) compared with J68.2 (Upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, 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. J39 carries an Excludes1 note covering J68.2: “upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes or vapors (J68.2)”
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
| J39Other diseases of upper respiratory tract | J68.2Upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Billable |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Other diseases of upper respiratory tract is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J39). | Upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J68.2). |
| Use additional code | — | code to identify associated respiratory conditions, such as: acute respiratory failure (J96.0-) |
| Code first | — | (T51-T65) to identify cause |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources