Skip to main content

J45.998 vs J68.0

J45.998 (Other asthma) 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. MedCoder-derived

Can these codes be reported together?

Conflict

Excludes1 conflict

J45.998
Other asthma
↔
J68.0
Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors

What we found

No — do not report together.J45.998 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).

What to review

Report one of the two. Both may be reported only when the documentation shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur together, so the pair should not be reported for the same encounter. The sole exception is when the conditions are documented as unrelated to each other.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

J68.0
Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors
↔
J45.998
Other asthma

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.J68.0 carries an Excludes2 note covering J45.998: “asthma (J45.-)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Side by side

J45.998Other asthmaJ68.0Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationJ00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)
DefinitionOther asthma is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J45.998).Bronchitis and pneumonitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J68.0).
Includes
allergic (predominantly) asthma
allergic bronchitis NOS
allergic rhinitis with asthma
atopic asthma
Chemical bronchitis (acute)
Excludes1
detergent asthma (J69.8)
miner's asthma (J60)
wheezing NOS (R06.2)
wood asthma (J67.8)
bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
—
Excludes2
asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.89)
chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis (J44.89)
chronic obstructive asthma (J44.89)
other specified chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.89)
cystic fibrosis (E84.-)
asthma (J45.-)
malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung (C34.-)
Code first—
(T51-T65) to identify cause
Use additional code
code to identify:
eosinophilic asthma (J82.83)
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
code to identify associated respiratory conditions, such as:
acute respiratory failure (J96.0-)

Notes are the code’s own tabular entry, quoted as published. A note that names the other code is the one the verdict above rests on.

Edit this comparisonCheck a whole claim

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources