H60.23 — Malignant otitis externa, bilateral
Is H60.23 billable?
Yes — H60.23 is billable for FY2027. H60.23 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. H60.23 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
H60.23 at a glance
| Code | H60.23 |
|---|---|
| Description | Malignant otitis externa, bilateral |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does H60.23 group to?
H60.23 sits in MDC 03 and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 154Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with MCCmedical
- 155Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with CCmedical
- 156Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses without CC/MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, H60.23 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is H60.23 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
The Alphabetic Index lists these routes under H60.2, the nearest indexed parent of H60.23. Use them to find the family, then select the specific code.
- Otitis › externa › malignant (acute)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 8
The conditions below are not part of H60.23, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, H60.23 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)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- 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)
How long has H60.23 existed?
H60.23 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.