H20.039 — Secondary infectious iridocyclitis, unspecified eye
Is H20.039 billable?
Yes, but H20.039 will trip a Medicare edit. H20.039 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, CMS lists H20.039 under Medicare Code Editor edit 20, “Unspecified code” — meaning a code specifying laterality (right, left or bilateral) exists in the same family. On an inpatient claim this triggers the edit, because CMS holds that there are very limited circumstances in which laterality cannot be documented.
H20.039 at a glance
| Code | H20.039 |
|---|---|
| Description | Secondary infectious iridocyclitis, unspecified eye |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
What Medicare edits apply to H20.039?
The Medicare Code Editor screens inpatient claims before they are grouped. These edits name H20.039 directly.
A code specifying laterality (right, left or bilateral) exists in the same family. CMS holds that there are very limited circumstances in which laterality cannot be documented.
Which MS-DRGs does H20.039 group to?
H20.039 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.
- 124Other Disorders of the Eye with MCC or Thrombolytic Agentmedical
- 125Other Disorders of the Eye without MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, H20.039 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is H20.039 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under H20.03, the nearest indexed parent of H20.039. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Iridocyclitis › acute › secondary › infectious
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from H20.0
The conditions below can never be reported together with H20.039 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) diabetes mellitus (E08-E13 with .39)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) diphtheria (A36.89)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) gonococcal (A54.32)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) herpes (simplex) (B00.51)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) herpes zoster (B02.32)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) late congenital syphilis (A50.39)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) late syphilis (A52.71)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) sarcoidosis (D86.83)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) syphilis (A51.43)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) toxoplasmosis (B58.09)
- iridocyclitis, iritis, uveitis (due to) (in) tuberculosis (A18.54)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 7
The conditions below are not part of H20.039, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H20.039 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 H20.039 existed?
H20.039 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.