Is J98.6 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. J98.6 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does J98.6 sit in the tabular list?

Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99), in the block Other diseases of the respiratory system (J96-J99).

What cannot be coded together with J98.6?

J98.6 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.

J98.6

J98.6 — Disorders of diaphragm

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

J98.6 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for disorders of diaphragm. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes1 — never code together

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

congenital malformation of diaphragm NEC (Q79.1)
congenital diaphragmatic hernia (Q79.0)

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.

diaphragmatic hernia (K44.-)

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

Diaphragmatitis
Paralysis of diaphragm
Relaxation of diaphragm

Risk adjustment

J98.6 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.

Medicare coverage

J98.6 is named in 6 Medicare coverage policies — 6 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A52494High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation Devices - Policy Article
A52510Mechanical In-exsufflation Devices - Policy Article
A56717Billing and Coding: Respiratory Therapy (Respiratory Care)
A56784Billing and Coding: Pulmonary Stress Testing

How J98.6 is indexed

Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to J98.6.

Diaphragmatitis, diaphragmitis
Disease, diseased›diaphragm
Disorder›diaphragm
Ossification›diaphragm
Paralysis, paralytic›diaphragm(flaccid)
Relaxation›diaphragm
Deformity›diaphragm›acquired

Related codes at this level

Codes that share J98. If J98.6 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about J98.6

Is J98.6 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. J98.6 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does J98.6 sit in the tabular list?: Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99), in the block Other diseases of the respiratory system (J96-J99).
What cannot be coded together with J98.6?: J98.6 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.