Acute tonsillitis (J03) ICD-10-CM
The J03 code range covers acute tonsillitis with 10 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. 6 of them are billable and valid for claim submission in fiscal year 2027, and the category headers group them but cannot themselves be billed.
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- acute sore throat J02
- hypertrophy of tonsils J35.1
- peritonsillar abscess J36
- sore throat NOS J02.9
- streptococcal sore throat J02.0
Type 2 Excludes
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
- chronic tonsillitis J35.0
Codes in the J03 Range 10 codes · 6 billable
- J03 Acute tonsillitisNon-billable
- J03.0 Streptococcal tonsillitisNon-billable
- J03.00 Acute streptococcal tonsillitis, unspecified
- J03.01 Acute recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis
- J03.8 Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organismsNon-billable
- J03.80 Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms
- J03.81 Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms
- J03.9 Acute tonsillitis, unspecifiedNon-billable
- J03.90 Acute tonsillitis, unspecified
- J03.91 Acute recurrent tonsillitis, unspecified
Clinical Terms in This Code Range
Definitions from the National Library of Medicine for conditions coded in the J03 range.
Acute Tonsillitis
An acute inflammation of the tonsils caused by viruses or bacteria. Signs and symptoms include fever, enlargement of the tonsils, difficulty swallowing, and enlargement of the regional lymph nodes.
Tonsillitis
Inflammation of the tonsils, especially the PALATINE TONSILS but the ADENOIDS (pharyngeal tonsils) and lingual tonsils may also be involved. Tonsillitis usually is caused by bacterial infection. Tonsillitis may be acute, chronic, or recurrent.
About the J03 Code Range
Acute tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils caused by viruses or bacteria. It belongs to the group of acute upper respiratory infections.
The categories separate streptococcal tonsillitis (J03.0), tonsillitis due to other specified organisms (J03.8), and unspecified acute tonsillitis (J03.9). Each branch then separates recurrent tonsillitis from a form not identified as recurrent.
Questions About This Page
How many billable codes are in the J03 range?
Of the 10 codes in this range, 6 are billable and valid for claim submission from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Category header codes group them but cannot be reported on claims.
What does the J03 range classify?
The range classifies acute tonsillitis. Each code links to its own reference page with billing status, MS-DRG grouping, coding notes, and clinical information.
Related References
Source: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM Tabular List and order file, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
