N18 vs N19
N18 (Chronic kidney disease (CKD)) compared with N19 (Unspecified kidney failure), 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. N19 carries an Excludes1 note covering N18: “chronic kidney disease (N18.-)”
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
| N18Chronic kidney disease (CKD) | N19Unspecified kidney failure | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Billable |
| Classification | N00-N99 — Diseases of the Genitourinary System (N00-N99) | N00-N99 — Diseases of the Genitourinary System (N00-N99) |
| Definition | Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (N18). | Unspecified kidney failure is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (N19). |
| Includes | — | Uremia NOS |
| Use additional code | code, if applicable, to identify: associated cachexia (E88.A) kidney transplant status (Z94.0) | — |
| Code first | any associated: diabetic chronic kidney disease (E08.22, E09.22, E10.22, E11.22, E13.22) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources