J03.9
Header — not billableAcute tonsillitis, unspecified
The ICD-10 code for acute tonsillitis, unspecified is J03.9.
J03.9 is a non-billable header code. It groups related conditions but cannot be used on its own for reimbursement — select one of the 2 more specific codes below.
Clinical notes
Excludes1 (not coded here)
An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).
Also known as
Alternate wording, synonyms, or specific conditions that fall under this code, listed to help confirm you've picked the right one.
- Follicular tonsillitis (acute)
- Gangrenous tonsillitis (acute)
- Infective tonsillitis (acute)
- Tonsillitis (acute) NOS
- Ulcerative tonsillitis (acute)
Documentation support
General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.
- •This is a non-billable header code. Documentation must support a more specific child code before this diagnosis can be reported on a claim.
- •This code describes an unspecified presentation. If the medical record documents a more specific detail (e.g. laterality, type, or affected site), a more specific sibling code should be used instead — see Related codes below.
- •Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
- •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.
Child codes under J03.9
Related codes in this category
- J03.0Streptococcal tonsillitisnon-billable header
- J03.8Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organismsnon-billable header
- J03.9Acute tonsillitis, unspecifiednon-billable header