2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J02.0Streptococcal pharyngitis

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J00-J06›J02

ICD-10-CM J02.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J02.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for streptococcal pharyngitis. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 152 through 153. Coders also document this condition as acute bacterial pharyngitis. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections and Other specified upper respiratory infections.

This medical diagnosis code is frequently used in Pediatrics medical specialties to designate conditions such acute pharyngitis.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J02.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Streptococcal pharyngitis
Short Description
Streptococcal pharyngitis
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J02
Acute pharyngitis

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ00-J06Acute upper respiratory infections
CategoryJ02Acute pharyngitis
This CodeJ02.0Streptococcal pharyngitis

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute bacterial pharyngitis
  • Acute pneumococcal pharyngitis
  • Acute streptococcal pharyngitis
  • Pharyngitis caused by Streptococcus pyogenes
  • Pneumococcal pharyngitis
  • Streptococcal sore throat
  • Streptococcus pyogenes infection

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Septic pharyngitis
  • Streptococcal sore throat

Type 2 Excludes

  • scarlet fever A38

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Disease, diseased
      • throat
        • septic
    • Pharyngitis(acute) (catarrhal)(gangrenous) (infective) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (simple) (subacute) (suppurative) (ulcerative) (viral)
      • septic
    • Pharyngitis(acute) (catarrhal)(gangrenous) (infective) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (simple) (subacute) (suppurative) (ulcerative) (viral)
      • streptococcal
    • Septic
      • sore
        • throat
    • Septic
      • sore
        • throat
          • streptococcal
    • Sore
      • throat (acute)
        • septic
    • Sore
      • throat (acute)
        • streptococcal (ulcerative)
    • Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative
      • sore throat
        • streptococcal

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR RSP006
Other specified upper respiratory infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Acute Pharyngitis

    an acute and painful inflammatory process that affects the pharynx. it is usually caused by viruses and less often bacteria. signs and symptoms include discomfort on swallowing, low-grade fever, headache, and earache.

Patient EducationClinical

Sore Throat

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx (also called the voice box). The technical name for the throat is pharynx.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert J02.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
034.0 Strep sore throat
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About J02.0Overview

Is J02.0 (Acute pharyngitis) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report streptococcal pharyngitis on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does J02.0 group to?

When streptococcal pharyngitis is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 152, 153, with relative weights from 0.7382 to 1.1822 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J02.0?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, streptococcal pharyngitis converts to ICD-9-CM 034.0 (strep sore throat). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.