W26.8XXA vs Y36
W26.8XXA (Contact with other sharp object(s), not elsewhere classified, initial encounter) 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. W26.8XXA 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
| W26.8XXAContact with other sharp object(s), not elsewhere classified, initial encounter | Y36Operations of war | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header Report instead: Y36.000A, Y36.000D, Y36.000S, Y36.001A, Y36.001D |
| Classification | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) |
| Definition | Contact with other sharp object(s), not elsewhere classified, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (W26.8A). | Operations of war is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Y36). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W26 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category Y36 |
| Includes | Contact with tin can lid | 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