J38.00

J38.00: Paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, unspecified

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

J38.00 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, unspecified. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Check J38.00 with the rest of the claim: free scrubber

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above J38.00

A category’s note binds every code beneath it.

Written on J38: Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified

congenital laryngeal stridor (P28.89)
obstructive laryngitis (acute) (J05.0)
postprocedural subglottic stenosis (J95.5)
stridor (R06.1)
ulcerative laryngitis (J04.0)

Risk adjustment

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

Medicare coverage

J38.00 is named in 4 Medicare coverage policies: 4 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which one applies depends on your Medicare contractor.

A54111Billing and Coding: Speech Language Pathology (SLP) Services: Communication Disorders
A56619Billing and Coding: Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography
A57040Billing and Coding: Speech-Language Pathology
A57668Billing and Coding: Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography

Alphabetic index entries that lead here

Laryngoplegia
Gerhardt's›syndrome(vocal cord paralysis)
Paralysis, paralytic›glottis
Paralysis, paralytic›laryngeal nerve(recurrent) (superior) (unilateral)
Paralysis, paralytic›larynx
Paralysis, paralytic›vocal cords
Compression›laryngeal nerve, recurrent›with paralysis of vocal cords and larynx

Code history

Unchanged in every release from FY2024 to FY2027.