Is ICD-10-CM code R05 billable?

No, R05 (Cough) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code. It must be coded to a more specific subcategory before it can be used for reimbursement.

What chapter does ICD-10-CM code R05 belong to?

R05 belongs to Chapter 18 of the ICD-10-CM tabular list: R00–R99 (Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings).

R05Not billable, use a more specific code below

Cough

In Symptoms and signs involving the circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09), chapter 18: Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings

6 billable codes under R05: none are a CC or MCC; none map to an HCC.

Instructional notes

Excludes1: not coded here, use a different code

paroxysmal cough due to Bordetella pertussis (A37.0-)
smoker's cough (J41.0)

Excludes2: not included here, code separately if applicable

cough with hemorrhage (R04.2)

Official coding guidelines

From the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027 (CMS and NCHS). Links open the PDF at the right page.

Covers when to report symptom, sign, and abnormal finding codes (R00-R99), plus specific rules for falls, coma scales, non-infectious SIRS, death NOS, and NIHSS scores.

Use of symptom codes (page 75)
Use of a symptom code with a definitive diagnosis code (page 75)
Combination codes that include symptoms (page 75)
Repeated falls (page 76)
Coma (page 76)
Functional quadriplegia (page 76)
SIRS due to Non-Infectious Process (page 77)
Death NOS (page 77)

Read Section I.C.18 (page 75), 1 more topics

All codes under R05

R05 can't be used on a claim. Pick a billable code below; grey headings group them.

R05 MS-DRG

As the principal diagnosis, all 6 billable codes under R05 group to MS-DRG 204 (v44.0).

DRG 204 Respiratory Signs and Symptoms

About the condition

Plain-language background from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), not coding guidance.

Cough

Coughing is a reflex that keeps your throat and airways clear. Although it can be annoying, coughing helps your body heal or protect itself. Coughs can be either acute or chronic. Acute coughs begin suddenly and usually last no more than 2 to 3 weeks. Acute coughs are the kind you most often get with a cold, flu, or acute bronchitis. Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks. Causes of chronic cough include:

Code history

Valid since FY2016, when ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015.

FY2022: Subcodes were added, so R05 is no longer billable on its own. New codes for cases coded here before: R05.1 (Acute cough), R05.2 (Subacute cough), R05.3 (Chronic cough), R05.4 (Cough syncope), R05.8 (Other specified cough), R05.9 (Cough, unspecified).

ICD-9-CM equivalent

Legacy crosswalk from the CMS General Equivalence Mappings (last updated 2018).

786.2 Cough

ICD-9 to ICD-10 converter