Q03 vs Q05.0
Q03 (Congenital hydrocephalus) compared with Q05.0 (Cervical spina bifida with hydrocephalus), 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. Q03 carries an Excludes1 note covering Q05.0: “hydrocephalus with spina bifida (Q05.0-Q05.4)”
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
| Q03Congenital hydrocephalus | Q05.0Cervical spina bifida with hydrocephalus | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Billable |
| Classification | Q00-Q99 — Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-Q99) | Q00-Q99 — Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-Q99) |
| Definition | Congenital hydrocephalus is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Q03). | Cervical spina bifida with hydrocephalus is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (Q05.0). |
| Includes | hydrocephalus in newborn | hydromeningocele (spinal) meningocele (spinal) meningomyelocele myelocele |
| Use additional code | — | code for any associated paraplegia (paraparesis) (G82.2-) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources