W89 vs X32
W89 (Exposure to man-made visible and ultraviolet light) compared with X32 (Exposure to sunlight), 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. W89 carries an Excludes1 note covering X32: “sunlight (X32)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Yes, when both are documented. W89 carries an Excludes2 note covering X32: “exposure to sunlight (X32)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
No — do not report together. X32 carries an Excludes1 note covering W89: “man-made radiation (tanning bed) (W89)”
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
| W89Exposure to man-made visible and ultraviolet light | X32Exposure to sunlight | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: W89.0XXA, W89.0XXD, W89.0XXS, W89.1XXA, W89.1XXD | Non-billable header |
| Classification | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) |
| Definition | Exposure to man-made visible and ultraviolet light is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W89). | Exposure to sunlight is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (X32). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W89 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code X32 |
| Includes | exposure to welding light (arc) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources