H35.729 — Serous detachment of retinal pigment epithelium, unspecified eye
Is H35.729 billable?
Yes, but H35.729 will trip a Medicare edit. H35.729 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, CMS lists H35.729 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.
H35.729 at a glance
| Code | H35.729 |
|---|---|
| Description | Serous detachment of retinal pigment epithelium, unspecified eye |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
What Medicare edits apply to H35.729?
The Medicare Code Editor screens inpatient claims before they are grouped. These edits name H35.729 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 H35.729 group to?
H35.729 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, H35.729 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is H35.729 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under H35.72, the nearest indexed parent of H35.729. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Disorder › retina › separation of layers › pigment epithelium detachment (of)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from H35.7
The conditions below can never be reported together with H35.729 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 7
The conditions below are not part of H35.729, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H35.729 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)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from H35
The conditions below are not part of H35.729, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H35.729 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has H35.729 existed?
H35.729 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.