H46 — Optic neuritis
Is H46 billable?
No — H46 is a non-billable header code. H46 groups more specific codes and cannot be submitted on a claim. A valid ICD-10-CM code must be reported at the highest level of specificity available in its branch. Select one of the 12 billable codes beneath H46.
Billable codes under this header
- H46.2Nutritional optic neuropathy
- H46.3Toxic optic neuropathy
- H46.8Other optic neuritis
- H46.9Unspecified optic neuritis
- H46.00Optic papillitis, unspecified eye
- H46.01Optic papillitis, right eye
- H46.02Optic papillitis, left eye
- H46.03Optic papillitis, bilateral
- H46.10Retrobulbar neuritis, unspecified eye
- H46.11Retrobulbar neuritis, right eye
- H46.12Retrobulbar neuritis, left eye
- H46.13Retrobulbar neuritis, bilateral
H46 at a glance
| Code | H46 |
|---|---|
| Description | Optic neuritis |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Excludes2 — not included here
The conditions below are not part of H46, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H46 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 7
The conditions below are not part of H46, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H46 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)
What codes fall under H46? (6)
How long has H46 existed?
H46 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.