J44.1 vs J70
J44.1 (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) exacerbation) compared with J70 (Respiratory conditions due to other external agents), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Can these codes be reported together?
Yes, when both are documented. J44.1 carries an Excludes2 note covering J70: “lung diseases due to external agents (J60-J70)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| J44.1Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) exacerbation | J70Respiratory conditions due to other external agents | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) exacerbation is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J44.1). | Respiratory conditions due to other external agents is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J70). |
| Includes | asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction chronic bronchitis with emphysema | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources