N18.9 vs N28.9
N18.9 (Chronic kidney disease, unspecified) compared with N28.9 (Disorder of kidney and ureter, 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. N28.9 carries an Excludes1 note covering N18.9: “chronic renal insufficiency (N18.9)”
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
| N18.9Chronic kidney disease, unspecified | N28.9Disorder of kidney and ureter, unspecified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | N00-N99 — Diseases of the Genitourinary System (N00-N99) | N00-N99 — Diseases of the Genitourinary System (N00-N99) |
| Definition | Chronic kidney disease, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (N18.9). | Disorder of kidney and ureter, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (N28.9). |
| Includes | Chronic renal disease Chronic renal failure NOS Chronic renal insufficiency Chronic uremia NOS | Nephropathy NOS Renal disease (acute) NOS Renal insufficiency (acute) |
| 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