2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J93.12Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax
J93.12 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 199 through 201. The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor. Coders also document this condition as spontaneous pneumothorax. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Pneumothorax.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for J93.12.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Spontaneous pneumothorax
- Spontaneous pneumothorax due to infection caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii
- Spontaneous pneumothorax due to respiratory disease
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Code First
- underlying condition, such as:
- catamenial pneumothorax due to endometriosis N80.B
- cystic fibrosis E84
- eosinophilic pneumonia J82.81 J82.82
- lymphangioleiomyomatosis J84.81
- malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung C34
- Marfan syndrome Q87.4
- pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii B59
- secondary malignant neoplasm of lung C78.0
- spontaneous rupture of the esophagus K22.3
Certain conditions have both an underlying etiology and multiple body system manifestations due to the underlying etiology. For such conditions, the ICD-10-CM has a coding convention that requires the underlying condition be sequenced first followed by the manifestation. Wherever such a combination exists, there is a "use additional code" note at the etiology code, and a "code first" note at the manifestation code. These instructional notes indicate the proper sequencing order of the codes, etiology followed by manifestation.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- secondary - J93.12
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Pneumothorax NOS
- spontaneous NOS
- secondary
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Pleural Disorders
Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space. Normally it's filled with a small amount of fluid.
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Convert J93.12 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About J93.12Overview
Is J93.12 (Other spontaneous pneumothorax) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report secondary spontaneous pneumothorax on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does J93.12 group to?
On inpatient claims, secondary spontaneous pneumothorax maps to MS-DRG 199, 200, 201, with relative weights from 0.7151 to 1.7641 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can J93.12 be a principal diagnosis?
No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because secondary spontaneous pneumothorax describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J93.12?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, secondary spontaneous pneumothorax converts to ICD-9-CM 512.82 (sec spont pneumothorax). 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.
