2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J15.212Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J09-J18›J15

ICD-10-CM J15.212
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J15.212 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 177 through 179, 974 through 976. Coders also document this condition as bronchopneumonia caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections and Pneumonia (except that caused by tuberculosis).

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J15.212
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Short Description
Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J15.21
Pneumonia due to staphylococcus aureus

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ09-J18Influenza and pneumonia
CategoryJ15Bacterial pneumonia, not elsewhere classified
This CodeJ15.212Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Bronchopneumonia caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  • Bronchopneumonia caused by Staphylococcus
  • Bronchopneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus
  • Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection
  • Pneumonia caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  • Pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus
  • Staphylococcal pneumonia

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.

    • Pneumonia(acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved)
      • in (due to)
        • Staphylococcus
          • aureus (methicillin susceptible) (MSSA)
            • methicillin resistant (MRSA)
    • Pneumonia(acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved)
      • MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
    • Pneumonia(acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved)
      • staphylococcal (broncho) (lobar)
        • aureus (methicillin susceptible) (MSSA)
          • methicillin resistant (MRSA)

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR RSP002
Pneumonia (except that caused by tuberculosis)
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics are medicines that treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. They work by killing the bacteria or making it hard for the bacteria to grow and multiply. When used properly, antibiotics can save lives. But there is a growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

The full article covers:

  • What are antibiotics?
  • What is antibiotic resistance?
  • How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?
  • Who is more likely to develop an antibiotic-resistant infection?
  • How can antibiotic resistance be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J15.212 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
482.42 Meth res pneu d/t Staph
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

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 J15.212Overview

Is J15.212 (Pneumonia due to staphylococcus aureus) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does J15.212 group to?

When pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 177, 178, 179, 974, 975, 976, with relative weights from 0.7550 to 2.8860 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J15.212?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus converts to ICD-9-CM 482.42 (meth res pneu d/t Staph). The mapping is a direct match.

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.