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Compare/M02.3 vs M45

M02.3 vs M45

M02.3 (Reiter's disease) compared with M45 (Ankylosing spondylitis), 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. M45 carries an Excludes1 note covering M02.3: “arthropathy in Reiter's disease (M02.3-)”

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

M02.3Reiter's diseaseM45Ankylosing spondylitis
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: M02.30, M02.311, M02.312, M02.319, M02.321

Non-billable header

Report instead: M45.0, M45.1, M45.2, M45.3, M45.4

ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionReiter's disease is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M02.3).Ankylosing spondylitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M45).
Includes
Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis of spine
Code first
underlying disease, such as:
congenital syphilis [Clutton's joints] (A50.5)

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources