H26.40 — Unspecified secondary cataract
Is H26.40 billable?
Yes, but H26.40 is an unspecified code. H26.40 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, H26.40 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 H26.40 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
More specific alternatives
H26.40 at a glance
| Code | H26.40 |
|---|---|
| Description | Unspecified secondary cataract |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does H26.40 group to?
H26.40 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
How is H26.40 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to H26.40. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Cataract › secondary (cortical) (immature) (incipient)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from H26
The conditions below can never be reported together with H26.40 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- congenital cataract (Q12.0)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 7
The conditions below are not part of H26.40, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H26.40 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 H26.40 existed?
H26.40 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.