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J02

Non-billable

Acute pharyngitis

J02 is the ICD-10-CM code for Acute pharyngitis. It is a non-billable category code — use a more specific child code such as J02.0 for billing.

Status
Header (non-billable)
Chapter
J00-J99
Subcodes
3
Edition
FY2026

J00-J99 Diseases of the respiratory system

What this means — in plain language

MedlinePlus · NIH

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx (also called the voice box). The technical name for the throat is pharynx. You can have a sore throat for many reasons. Often, colds and flu cause sore throats. Other causes can include: Allergies Mononucleosis Smoking Strep throat Tonsillitis Treatment depends on the cause. Sucking on lozenges, drinking lots of liquids,…

Read more about Sore Throat at MedlinePlus ↗

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Informational only — not medical advice.

Includes

  • •acute sore throat

Excludes1 — not coded here

  • •acute laryngopharyngitis (J06.0)
  • •peritonsillar abscess (J36)
  • •pharyngeal abscess (J39.1)
  • •retropharyngeal abscess (J39.0)

Excludes2 — not included here

  • •chronic pharyngitis (J31.2)

Medications indicated for this condition

FDA labeling

Drugs whose FDA labeling lists this condition's category among its indications. Informational only — not a treatment recommendation or medical advice.

Conditions mapped to this code

MedlinePlus · NIH
Sore Throat

Plain-language health-topic references grounded in MedlinePlus (NIH/NLM).

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code J02?
J02 is the ICD-10-CM code for "Acute pharyngitis". It falls under J00-J99 Diseases of the respiratory system.
Is J02 a billable code?
No — J02 is a non-billable header code. Use a more specific child code (such as J02.0) for billing.
What are the subcodes of J02?
J02 has 3 more specific child codes, including J02.0, J02.8, J02.9.
What is excluded from J02?
Excludes1 (not coded here): acute laryngopharyngitis (J06.0); peritonsillar abscess (J36); pharyngeal abscess (J39.1); retropharyngeal abscess (J39.0).

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM FY2026. For informational purposes only — not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.

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