Q16.9 vs Q17
Q16.9 and Q17 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on Q17
congenital malformations of ear with impairment of hearing (Q16.0-Q16.9)
Q16.9
Congenital malformation of ear causing impairment of hearing, unspecified
BillableUnspecified
- Chapter 17
- Congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic disorders
- Section
- Q10-Q18
Use when the record says
- Congenital absence of ear NOS
Indexed under
- Absence › ear, congenital (of) (organ or part) (complete or partial)
- Agenesis › ear
- Anomaly, anomalous › ear › causing impairment of hearing (congenital) (unspecified type)
- Hypoplasia, hypoplastic › auditory canal › causing impairment of hearing
- Malformation › ear › causing impairment of hearing (congenital)
Q17
Other congenital malformations of ear
Not billable
- Chapter 17
- Congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic disorders
- Section
- Q10-Q18
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027