S05.0 vs T15.0
S05.0 and T15.0 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 S05.0
foreign body in cornea (T15.0)
S05.0
Injury of conjunctiva and corneal abrasion without foreign body
Not billable
- Chapter 19
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
- Section
- S00-S09
Indexed under
- Abrasion › cornea
- Injury › eye › conjunctiva
- Injury › eye › cornea › abrasion
T15.0
Foreign body in cornea
Not billable
- Chapter 19
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
- Section
- T15-T19
Indexed under
- Foreign body › cornea
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