J70 vs J81
J70 (Respiratory conditions due to other external agents) compared with J81 (Pulmonary edema), 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. J81 carries an Excludes1 note covering J70: “pulmonary edema due to external agents (J60-J70)”
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
| J70Respiratory conditions due to other external agents | J81Pulmonary edema | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) |
| Definition | Respiratory conditions due to other external agents is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J70). | Pulmonary edema is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J81). |
| Use additional code | — | code to identify: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22) history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources