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J20 ICD-10-CM Code: Acute bronchitis

J20 is not a CMS-HCC payment code. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · free HCC coding tools

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Code lookupJ20

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99) / Other acute lower respiratory infections (J20-J22)

J20

Header CodeICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Acute bronchitis

CMS-HCC V28

N/A

Not mapped

CMS-HCC V24

N/A

Not mapped

ACA/HHS

N/A

Not mapped

ESRD/PACE

N/A

Not mapped

RXHCC

N/A

Not mapped

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for J20. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official
  • 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)
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • smoke inhalation (T59.81-)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)Inherited from J00-J99, J20-J22

Includes

Official
  • 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 1

Official
  • bronchitis NOS (J40)
  • tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for J20. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official
  • code, where applicable, to identify:Inherited from J00-J99
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)Inherited from J00-J99
  • exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)Inherited from J00-J99
  • history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)Inherited from J00-J99
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)Inherited from J00-J99
  • tobacco dependence (F17.-)Inherited from J00-J99
  • tobacco use (Z72.0)Inherited from J00-J99

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for J20. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Current with CMS: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr 1 update (effective Apr 1 – Sep 30, 2026) · CMS-HCC V28, 100% phased in for payment year 2026. FY2027 code set already staged for October 1, 2026. How HCC Buddy stays current →

Code
J20
Description
Acute bronchitis
HCC (V28)
No CMS-HCC V28 mapping
RAF reference coefficient
Billable
No
Payment year
2026

Coder workflow notes

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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. Coders should select the billable child code that matches the documented presentation and then verify its current source-backed HCC mapping. Do not infer a child code or risk adjustment value from the header alone.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, source-labeled coefficient references, 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 1, Do NOT code together

  • bronchitis NOS (J40)
  • tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

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)

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

J20Acute bronchitis
J20Acute bronchitis

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