Guidelines › Conventions take precedence over guidelines

Conventions take precedence over guidelines

Official text from the FY2027 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting. The wording is quoted exactly.

Guidelines I

“The conventions and instructions of the classification take precedence over guidelines.”

Where this applies

This is a general rule. It applies to code assignment everywhere, not to one code or group of codes.

Source: FY 2027 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, effective October 1, 2026. Full Guidelines (PDF, CMS)