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Compare/W22 vs Y36

W22 vs Y36

W22 (Striking against or struck by other objects) compared with Y36 (Operations of war), 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. W22 carries an Excludes1 note covering Y36: “exposure to inanimate mechanical forces involving military or war operations (Y36.-, Y37.-)”

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

W22Striking against or struck by other objectsY36Operations of war
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: W22.01XA, W22.01XD, W22.01XS, W22.02XA, W22.02XD

Non-billable header

Report instead: Y36.000A, Y36.000D, Y36.000S, Y36.001A, Y36.001D

ClassificationV00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99)V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99)
DefinitionStriking against or struck by other objects is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W22).Operations of war is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Y36).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W22The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category Y36
Includes
injuries to military personnel and civilians caused by war, civil insurrection, and peacekeeping missions

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources