M26 vs Q38
M26 (Dentofacial anomalies [including malocclusion]) compared with Q38 (Other congenital malformations of tongue, mouth and pharynx), 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. Q38 carries an Excludes1 note covering M26: “dentofacial anomalies (M26.-)”
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
| M26Dentofacial anomalies [including malocclusion] | Q38Other congenital malformations of tongue, mouth and pharynx | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| Classification | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) | Q00-Q99 — Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-Q99) |
| Definition | Dentofacial anomalies [including malocclusion] is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M26). | Other congenital malformations of tongue, mouth and pharynx is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Q38). |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources