J44 vs J68.0
J44 (Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) compared with J68.0 (Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors), 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. J44 carries an Excludes1 note covering J68.0: “bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)”
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
| J44Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | J68.0Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J44). | Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J68.0). |
| Includes | asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction chronic bronchitis with emphysema | Chemical bronchitis (acute) |
| 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