2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J40Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic
ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J40-J4B›J40
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
J40 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 202 through 203. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Acute bronchitis.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Bronchial irritation
- Bronchitis
- Bronchitis co-occurrent with acute wheeze
- Bronchitis co-occurrent with chronic wheeze
- Bronchitis co-occurrent with wheeze
- Infectious disorder of bronchus
- Laryngotracheobronchitis
- Occupational bronchitis
- Plastic bronchitis
- Plastic bronchitis after cardiac procedure
- Postoperative bronchitis
- Recurrent bronchitis
- Recurrent bronchopulmonary infection
- Recurrent lower respiratory tract infection
- Septic bronchitis
- Tracheobronchitis
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to J40: its own notes plus those printed at block J40-J4B and Chapter 10. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Applicable To
Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.
- Bronchitis NOS
- Bronchitis with tracheitis NOS
- Catarrhal bronchitis
- Tracheobronchitis NOS
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
- cystic fibrosis (E84.-)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- 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: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name J40, its category, or a range that includes it.
Applicable To 1
These notes mention J40.
- Z82.5 Family history of asthma and other chronic lower respiratory diseases
Excludes1 2
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming J40: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Notes 1
These notes mention J40.
- Chapter 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory systemWhen 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).
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Bronchitis
inflammation of the large airways in the lung including any part of the bronchi, from the primary bronchi to the tertiary bronchi.
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 J40 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About J40Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic?
The ICD-10-CM code for bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic is J40. It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is J40 (Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does J40 group to?
When bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 202, 203, with relative weights from 0.6509 to 0.9472 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can J40 be reported with a code from J20?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on J40 lists "acute bronchitis (J20.-)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Does J40 need an additional code?
When the condition applies, yes. The Use Additional Code note reads: code to identify: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22); exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81); history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891); occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31); tobacco dependence (F17.-); and 1 more listed in the Instructional Notes section. The additional code is reported after J40.
