J20

J20: Acute bronchitis

Non-billable headerICD-10-CM

J20 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for acute bronchitis. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below.

Excludes1: never code together

These conditions cannot occur together. Billing both on the same encounter is a denial.

bronchitis NOS (J40)
tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

Excludes2: not included here, but may coexist

The excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient can have both. You may code both.

acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)

Includes

Conditions this code covers.

acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm
acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis
acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute
acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis
acute and subacute membranous bronchitis
acute and subacute purulent bronchitis
acute and subacute septic bronchitis

Other codes that can never be billed with J20

Their own Excludes1 notes name this code, so the conflict is not listed above.

J40Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic
J98.01Acute bronchospasm
B97.4Respiratory syncytial virus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

Risk adjustment

No CMS-HCC V28 category: this code does not change a RAF score.

Code history

Unchanged in every release from FY2024 to FY2027.

Code to one of these instead J20

10 child codes. Green means billable.