Is J40 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. J40 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does J40 sit in the tabular list?

Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99), in the block Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J4A).

What cannot be coded together with J40?

J40 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.

J40

J40 — Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

J40 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic. 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.

acute bronchitis (J20.-)
allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
asthmatic bronchitis NOS (J45.9-)
bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)

Use additional code

Add a secondary code to capture the detail described below.

code to identify:
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
tobacco dependence (F17.-)
tobacco use (Z72.0)

Inclusion terms

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

Bronchitis NOS
Bronchitis with tracheitis NOS
Catarrhal bronchitis
Tracheobronchitis NOS

Other codes that can never be billed with J40

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at J40. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading J40 alone.

J20Acute bronchitis

Risk adjustment

J40 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

J40 is named in 14 Medicare coverage policies — 12 listing it as supporting medical necessity, and 2 listing it as NOT covered. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A56566Billing and Coding: Outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy Servicesnot covered
A57067Billing and Coding: Outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy Servicesnot covered
A52466Nebulizers - Policy Article
A52466Nebulizers - Policy Article

How J40 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 J40.

Bronchitis(diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
Bronchitis›catarrhal(l5 years of age and above)
Bronchitis›with›tracheitis(l5 years of age and above)
Tracheitis›with›bronchitis(15 years of age and above)

Questions about J40

Is J40 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. J40 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does J40 sit in the tabular list?: Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99), in the block Chronic lower respiratory diseases (J40-J4A).
What cannot be coded together with J40?: J40 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.