M12 vs M15
M12 (Other and unspecified arthropathy) compared with M15 (Polyosteoarthritis), 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. M12 carries an Excludes1 note covering M15: “arthrosis (M15-M19)”
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
| M12Other and unspecified arthropathy | M15Polyosteoarthritis | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) |
| Definition | Other and unspecified arthropathy is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M12). | Polyosteoarthritis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M15). |
| Includes | — | arthritis of multiple sites |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources