R50.9 vs R68.83
R50.9 (Fever, unspecified) compared with R68.83 (Chills (without fever)), 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. R50.9 carries an Excludes1 note covering R68.83: “chills without fever (R68.83)”
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. R68.83 carries an Excludes1 note covering R50.9: “chills with fever (R50.9)”
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
| R50.9Fever, unspecified | R68.83Chills (without fever) | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | R00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99) | R00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99) |
| Definition | Fever, unspecified is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R50.9). | Chills (without fever) is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R68.83). |
| Includes | Fever NOS Fever of unknown origin [FUO] Fever with chills Fever with rigors | Chills NOS |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources