J45 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for asthma, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as J45.20, J45.21, J45.22, and J45.30.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Specific Coding for AsthmaOverview
Non-specific codes like J45 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:
J45.2 for Mild intermittent asthma
Use J45.20 for Mild intermittent asthma, uncomplicated
Use J45.21 for Mild intermittent asthma with (acute) exacerbation
Use J45.22 for Mild intermittent asthma with status asthmaticus
J45.3 for Mild persistent asthma
Use J45.30 for Mild persistent asthma, uncomplicated
Use J45.31 for Mild persistent asthma with (acute) exacerbation
Use J45.32 for Mild persistent asthma with status asthmaticus
J45.4 for Moderate persistent asthma
Use J45.40 for Moderate persistent asthma, uncomplicated
Use J45.41 for Moderate persistent asthma with (acute) exacerbation
Use J45.42 for Moderate persistent asthma with status asthmaticus
J45.5 for Severe persistent asthma
Use J45.50 for Severe persistent asthma, uncomplicated
Use J45.51 for Severe persistent asthma with (acute) exacerbation
Use J45.52 for Severe persistent asthma with status asthmaticus
J45.9 for Other and unspecified asthma
J45.90 for Unspecified asthma
J45.99 for Other asthma
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to J45: 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.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- allergic (predominantly) asthma
- allergic bronchitis NOS
- allergic rhinitis with asthma
- atopic asthma
- extrinsic allergic asthma
- hay fever with asthma
- idiosyncratic asthma
- intrinsic nonallergic asthma
- nonallergic asthma
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 J45, its category, or a range that includes it.
Applicable To 1
These notes mention J45.
- Z82.5 Family history of asthma and other chronic lower respiratory diseases
Excludes1 2
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming J45: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2 1
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming J45: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
- Block J60-J70 Lung diseases due to external agentsasthma (J45.-)
Code First 1
These codes say to code first a condition named in the note, and J45 is one of the conditions named.
Clinical InformationClinical
Asthma
a form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (respiratory hypersensitivity), airway inflammation, and intermittent airway obstruction. it is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, wheezing, and dyspnea (dyspnea, paroxysmal).
Patient EducationClinical
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease. It affects your airways, the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. When you have asthma, your airways can become inflamed and narrowed. This can cause wheezing, coughing, and tightness in your chest. When these symptoms get worse than usual, it is called an asthma attack or flare-up.
The full article covers:
- What is asthma?
- What causes asthma?
- Who is at risk for asthma?
- What are the symptoms of asthma?
- How is asthma diagnosed?
- What are the treatments for asthma?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About J45Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for asthma?
J45 is the ICD-10-CM category for asthma, but it is a non-billable header: claims need a more specific code from this category, listed on this page.
Is J45 (Asthma) a billable code?
No. This is a category header that groups the codes for asthma, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for asthma need a more specific code from this category, such as J45.20, J45.21, and J45.22.
Can J45 be reported with J69.8?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on J45 lists "detergent asthma (J69.8)". 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 J45 need an additional code?
When the condition applies, yes. The Use Additional Code note reads: code to identify: eosinophilic asthma (J82.83); 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); and 2 more listed in the Instructional Notes section. The additional code is reported after J45.
