Skip to main content

J34.821 ICD-10-CM Code: External nasal valve collapse

Compare with another code for J34.821Check this code on a claim

Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

Official instructions
1 Excludes2 · 2 code-first instructions

What these terms mean →

Not billable · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too, and is marked with where it comes from.

Code firstfrom J34.82Sequence the underlying condition before this code
  • underlying cause, such as:
  • deviated nasal septum (J34.2)
Excludes2from J34Not included here; may be reported together
  • varicose ulcer of nasal septum (I86.8)

Where it sits Source: CMS/NCHS

Under:Chapter 10: Diseases of the Respiratory SystemJ30-J39 Other diseases of upper respiratory tractJ34 Other and unspecified disorders of nose and nasal sinusesJ34.8 Other specified disorders of nose and nasal sinusesJ34.82 Nasal valve collapse

Codes under J34.821 (3)

  • J34.8210External nasal valve collapse, unspecifiedBillable
  • J34.8211External nasal valve collapse, staticBillable
  • J34.8212External nasal valve collapse, dynamicBillable

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for J34.821 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on J34.821 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Source: inherited from J34

Code First

Underlying conditions that must be sequenced before this code.

  • underlying cause, such as:
  • deviated nasal septum (J34.2)

Source: inherited from J34.82

Coder workflow for J34.821

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code J34.821

  1. J34.821 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

    ReviewJ34.8210, J34.8211, J34.8212

    See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath J34.821?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → J34.821 cannot be reported as written. Where the codes beneath it include an unspecified code, that code applies when the record goes no further; otherwise query for the missing detail.

    ReviewJ34.8210, J34.8211, J34.8212

  2. Is the underlying (etiologic) condition the Code First note names documented?
    Yes → Sequence the underlying condition first, then the code beneath J34.821.
    No → Continue; do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

    ReviewJ34.2

Report the code beneath J34.821 that the documentation supports, not J34.821 itself. Then confirm that code is valid for the date of service on its own page.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
The underlying (etiologic) condition
Named in the Code First note; sequenced before this code when documented (Guidelines I.A.13).

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes2 — not part of J34.821(1 note)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in J34.821. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareI86.8

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

  • Code First — sequencing check(2 notes)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the underlying or etiologic condition the note names is documented. When it is, sequence it before J34.821. Do not add an underlying condition the record does not document.

    ReviewJ34.2

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: The underlying condition the Code First note names is documented alongside this condition.

Coding question: How are the two sequenced?

Path: Review the Code First note.

Reason: The underlying condition is sequenced first and the manifestation follows (Guidelines I.A.13).

ReviewJ34.2

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Don’t confuse J34.821 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of J34.821 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

  • J34.829— Specificity relationship (Review)

    Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

    Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

    What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Nasal valve collapse, unspecified” takes J34.829; specificity in the record moves it back here.

    Full comparison: J34.821 vs J34.829 →

  • I86.8— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of varicose ulcer of nasal septum adds I86.8; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: J34.821 vs I86.8 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

External nasal valve collapse is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J34.821). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Verify Before Coding

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Contextual Map

Every relationship of J34.821 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Hierarchy

Nearest codes (24)

Change history

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can J34.821 be billed directly?

No. J34.821 (External nasal valve collapse) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder-derived relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder editorial explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "J34.821 — External nasal valve collapse." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/j34.821-external-nasal-valve-collapse

Change history

  • FY2025 — October 1, 2024
    Added to the code set
    External nasal valve collapse
    FY2025 changes

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to J34.821 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the J34 family