2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J39.9Disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J30-J39›J39

ICD-10-CM J39.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J39.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified. 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 disorder of nasopharynx. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified and unspecified upper respiratory disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J39.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified
Short Description
Disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J39
Other diseases of upper respiratory tract

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ30-J39Other diseases of upper respiratory tract
CategoryJ39Other diseases of upper respiratory tract
This CodeJ39.9Disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Disorder of nasopharynx
  • Disorder of nose and nasopharynx
  • Disorder of upper respiratory system
  • Disorder of uvula of palate
  • Inflammatory disorder of upper respiratory tract

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
      • respiratory (tract)
        • upper

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR RSP007
Other specified and unspecified upper respiratory disease
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Bronchial Disorders

When you breathe in, the air travels down through your trachea (windpipe). It then goes through two tubes to your lungs. These tubes are your bronchi. Bronchial disorders can make it hard for you to breathe.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J39.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
478.9 Upper resp dis NEC/NOS
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 J39.9Overview

Is J39.9 (Other diseases of upper respiratory tract) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does J39.9 group to?

When disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified 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 J39.9?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, disease of upper respiratory tract, unspecified converts to ICD-9-CM 478.9 (upper resp dis NEC/NOS). 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.