K20-K31 vs K44

K20-K31 (Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31)) compared with K44 (Diaphragmatic hernia), from the official CMS tabular data.

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because K20-K31 lists K44 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule

What is different?

The conditions named.K20-K31 is “Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31)”; K44 is “Diaphragmatic hernia”.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.K20-K31 lists K44 under Excludes2: “hiatus hernia (K44.-)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code. K44 carries 2 Excludes1 notes covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.K20-K31’s tabular entry: “hiatus hernia (K44.-)”. The note covers K44.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one more specific?

Not comparable.The codes sit in different categories; specificity is only comparable within one category.

Is one a parent or header code?

Both are headers.Both are non-billable headers, and neither contains the other.

Registry fact

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

K20-K31

Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31)

↔

K44

Diaphragmatic hernia

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.K20-K31 carries an Excludes2 note covering K44: “hiatus hernia (K44.-)”

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 Excludes2 Check 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

Official guidance behind these answers

Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2
A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2027

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

	K20-K31Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31)	K44Diaphragmatic hernia
Billing status	Non-billable header	Non-billable header Report instead: K44.0, K44.1, K44.9
Classification	K00-K95 — Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95)	K00-K95 — Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95)
Definition	Diseases of esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20-K31) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (K20-K31).	Diaphragmatic hernia is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (K44).
Includes	—	hiatus hernia (esophageal) (sliding) paraesophageal hernia acquired hernia congenital [except diaphragmatic or hiatus] hernia
Excludes1	—	congenital diaphragmatic hernia (Q79.0) congenital hiatus hernia (Q40.1)
Excludes2	hiatus hernia (K44.-)	—

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 comparison Check a whole claim

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources