J41 vs J42
J41 (Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis) compared with J42 (Unspecified chronic bronchitis), 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?
Yes, when both are documented. J41 carries an Excludes2 note covering J42: “chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
No — do not report together. J42 carries an Excludes1 note covering J41: “simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis (J41.-)”
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
| J41Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis | J42Unspecified chronic bronchitis | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J41). | Unspecified chronic bronchitis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J42). |
| Includes | — | Chronic bronchitis NOS Chronic tracheitis Chronic tracheobronchitis |
| Use additional code | code to identify: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22) exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81) | code to identify: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22) exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources