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FY2027 ICD-10-CM reference

J42: Unspecified chronic bronchitis

By the HCC Buddy Coding Team

The official ICD-10-CM descriptor is Unspecified chronic bronchitis. The FY2027 annual edition starts October 1, 2026. Check the edition that applies to the encounter or inpatient discharge, including any April update.

Billable code. Verified against the official FY2027 order file.

CMS-HCC V28

  • HCC 280: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Interstitial Lung Disorders, and Other Chronic Lung Disorders · RAF 0.319, Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA)

Payment year 2027, 2026 dates of service. HCC from the CMS 2027 Initial ICD-10-CM Mappings; RAF from the CMS-HCC V28 relative factors. For 2027 dates of service, CMS has not yet published the payment year 2028 mappings.

CMS-HCC V24

Not used for payment year 2027 Medicare Advantage payment

ESRD

Source verification pending

PACE

Source verification pending

RxHCC

Source verification pending

HHS-HCC

Source verification pending

FY2027 Tabular instructions

Instructions below include applicable chapter, section and parent-code notes. Each note identifies where it appears in the official source.

Instructional note

When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

code, where applicable, to identify:

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

tobacco dependence (F17.-)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Instructional note

tobacco use (Z72.0)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

neoplasms (C00-D49)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

smoke inhalation (T59.81-)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes2

symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Source: J00-J99 (chapter, inherited).

Excludes1

bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)

Source: J40-J4B (section, inherited).

Excludes2

cystic fibrosis (E84.-)

Source: J40-J4B (section, inherited).

Instructional note

Chronic bronchitis NOS

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

Chronic tracheitis

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

Chronic tracheobronchitis

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Code also

, if applicable, chronic respiratory conditions due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.4)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

code to identify:

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

tobacco dependence (F17.-)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Instructional note

tobacco use (Z72.0)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Excludes1

bronchiolitis obliterans and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (J44.81)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Excludes1

chronic asthmatic bronchitis (J44.-)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Excludes1

chronic bronchitis with airways obstruction (J44.-)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Excludes1

chronic emphysematous bronchitis (J44.-)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Excludes1

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease NOS (J44.9)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Excludes1

simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis (J41.-)

Source: J42 (category, direct).

Source: CMS FY2027 Tabular List and Alphabetic Index.

Open Tabular instructions and code details

Compare the FY2027 additions, removals and billable-status changes

What does J42 mean in FY2027?

The official ICD-10-CM descriptor is Unspecified chronic bronchitis. The FY2027 annual edition starts October 1, 2026. Check the edition that applies to the encounter or inpatient discharge, including any April update.

Is J42 billable in FY2027?

The FY2027 order file marks J42 as billable. Check the complete Tabular instructions and documentation before assigning it.

Does J42 map to an HCC?

In the CMS 2027 Initial ICD-10-CM Mappings (payment year 2027, 2026 dates of service), J42 maps to CMS-HCC V28 HCC 280 (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Interstitial Lung Disorders, and Other Chronic Lung Disorders). For 2027 dates of service, CMS has not yet published the payment year 2028 mappings. ESRD, RxHCC, PACE and HHS-HCC mappings are still pending verification for FY2027.

Source: CMS FY2027 ICD-10-CM order file. Read the FY2027 Official Guidelines.

Review the FY2026 April edition