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M46.4 vs M50.82

M46.4 (Discitis, unspecified) compared with M50.82 (Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region), 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. M50.82 carries an Excludes1 note covering M46.4: “discitis NOS (M46.4-)”

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

M46.4Discitis, unspecifiedM50.82Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: M46.40, M46.41, M46.42, M46.43, M46.44

Non-billable header

Report instead: M50.820, M50.821, M50.822, M50.823

ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionDiscitis, unspecified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M46.4).Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M50.82).
Includes
cervicothoracic disc disorders with cervicalgia
cervicothoracic disc disorders

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