H16.009 — Unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye
Is H16.009 billable?
Yes, but H16.009 is an unspecified code. H16.009 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, H16.009 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting H16.009 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
H16.009 at a glance
| Code | H16.009 |
|---|---|
| Description | Unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does H16.009 group to?
H16.009 sits in MDC 02 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 121Acute Major Eye Infections with CC/MCCmedical
- 122Acute Major Eye Infections without CC/MCCmedical
How is H16.009 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under H16.00, the nearest indexed parent of H16.009. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative › cornea
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 7
The conditions below are not part of H16.009, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H16.009 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- diabetes mellitus related eye conditions (E09.3-, E10.3-, E11.3-, E13.3-)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury (trauma) of eye and orbit (S05.-)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
- syphilis related eye disorders (A50.01, A50.3-, A51.43, A52.71)
How long has H16.009 existed?
H16.009 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.