J20
Non-Billable (Header)Acute bronchitis
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
What This Code Means
J20 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute bronchitis. J20 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the respiratory system (j00-j99), within the section covering other acute lower respiratory infections (j20-j22).
Header codes like J20 cannot be reported on claims directly — they organize child codes that share clinical context but the actual diagnosis must be coded to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation. Coders should look at J20's child codes and select the one that matches the patient's documented presentation, since payers reject header codes submitted as the primary diagnosis. For risk adjustment workflows, header codes never contribute to a Medicare Advantage member's RAF score on their own; only billable child codes that happen to map to a payment HCC affect risk-adjusted plan payments.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for J20 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Includes
- acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm
- acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis
- acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute
- acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis
- acute and subacute membranous bronchitis
- acute and subacute purulent bronchitis
- acute and subacute septic bronchitis
Excludes 2 — Not included here, may code separately
- acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
- acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
- acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
- allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
- bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
- chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
- chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
- chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
- chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
- chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
- chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)