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Compare/M54.0 vs M79.3

M54.0 vs M79.3

M54.0 (Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back) compared with M79.3 (Panniculitis, unspecified), 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. M54.0 carries an Excludes1 note covering M79.3: “panniculitis NOS (M79.3)”

Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

No — do not report together. M79.3 carries an Excludes1 note covering M54.0: “neck and back panniculitis (M54.0-)”

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

M54.0Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and backM79.3Panniculitis, unspecified
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: M54.00, M54.01, M54.02, M54.03, M54.04

Billable
ClassificationM00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99)
DefinitionPanniculitis affecting regions of neck and back is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M54.0).Panniculitis, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M79.3).

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