T20 vs T81
T20 (Burn and corrosion of head, face, and neck) compared with T81 (Complications of procedures, not elsewhere classified), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Can these codes be reported together?
Yes, when both are documented. T81 carries an Excludes2 note covering T20: “burns and corrosions from local applications and irradiation (T20-T32)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| T20Burn and corrosion of head, face, and neck | T81Complications of procedures, not elsewhere classified | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: T20.00XA, T20.00XD, T20.00XS, T20.011A, T20.011D | Non-billable header Report instead: T81.10XA, T81.10XD, T81.10XS, T81.11XA, T81.11XD |
| Classification | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) |
| Definition | Burn and corrosion of head, face, and neck is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T20). | Complications of procedures, not elsewhere classified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T81). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T20 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T81 |
| Includes | burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema] burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss] burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss] | — |
| Use additional code | code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved | code for adverse effect, if applicable, to identify drug (T36-T50 with fifth or sixth character 5) code(s) to identify the specified condition resulting from the complication code to identify devices involved and details of circumstances (Y62-Y82) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources