J42
Billable codeUnspecified chronic bronchitis
The ICD-10 code for unspecified chronic bronchitis is J42.
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.
- Chronic bronchitis NOS
- Chronic tracheitis
- Chronic tracheobronchitis
Use additional code
This code represents an underlying condition. When a related manifestation is also present, coding convention calls for an additional code to be listed after this one.
Documentation support
General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.
- •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.
- •If the associated manifestation or related condition noted above is also documented, an additional code should be reported alongside this one.
- •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.
Related codes in this category
- J40Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic
- J41Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitisnon-billable header
- J43Emphysemanon-billable header
- J44Other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasenon-billable header
- J45Asthmanon-billable header
- J47Bronchiectasisnon-billable header
- J4AChronic lung allograft dysfunctionnon-billable header
- J42Unspecified chronic bronchitis
ICD-9-CM equivalent
Informational only — GEM mappings are approximate, not guaranteed one-to-one equivalents. Verify before use in billing.
- 4919
Associated MS-DRGs
J42 can serve as the principal diagnosis for these Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Groups.
Informational only — actual DRG assignment also depends on procedures, complications/comorbidities (CC/MCC), discharge status, and payer-specific rules not reflected here.