S09.3 — Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear
Is S09.3 billable?
No — S09.3 is a non-billable header code. S09.3 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 30 billable codes beneath S09.3.
Billable codes under this header
- S09.301AUnspecified injury of right middle and inner ear, initial encounter
- S09.301DUnspecified injury of right middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.301SUnspecified injury of right middle and inner ear, sequela
- S09.302AUnspecified injury of left middle and inner ear, initial encounter
- S09.302DUnspecified injury of left middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.302SUnspecified injury of left middle and inner ear, sequela
- S09.309AUnspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, initial encounter
- S09.309DUnspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.309SUnspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela
- S09.311APrimary blast injury of right ear, initial encounter
- S09.311DPrimary blast injury of right ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.311SPrimary blast injury of right ear, sequela
- S09.312APrimary blast injury of left ear, initial encounter
- S09.312DPrimary blast injury of left ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.312SPrimary blast injury of left ear, sequela
- S09.313APrimary blast injury of ear, bilateral, initial encounter
- S09.313DPrimary blast injury of ear, bilateral, subsequent encounter
- S09.313SPrimary blast injury of ear, bilateral, sequela
- S09.319APrimary blast injury of unspecified ear, initial encounter
- S09.319DPrimary blast injury of unspecified ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.319SPrimary blast injury of unspecified ear, sequela
- S09.391AOther specified injury of right middle and inner ear, initial encounter
- S09.391DOther specified injury of right middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.391SOther specified injury of right middle and inner ear, sequela
- S09.392AOther specified injury of left middle and inner ear, initial encounter
- S09.392DOther specified injury of left middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.392SOther specified injury of left middle and inner ear, sequela
- S09.399AOther specified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, initial encounter
- S09.399DOther specified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter
- S09.399SOther specified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela
S09.3 at a glance
| Code | S09.3 |
|---|---|
| Description | Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with S09.3 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- injury to ear NOS (S09.91-)
Excludes2 — not included here
The conditions below are not part of S09.3, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, S09.3 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 19
Report an additional code alongside S09.3 to fully describe the condition. S09.3 is sequenced first.
- code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 19
The conditions below are not part of S09.3, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, S09.3 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from S00-S09
The conditions below are not part of S09.3, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, S09.3 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
- effects of foreign body in ear (T16)
- effects of foreign body in larynx (T17.3)
- effects of foreign body in mouth NOS (T18.0)
- effects of foreign body in nose (T17.0-T17.1)
- effects of foreign body in pharynx (T17.2)
- effects of foreign body on external eye (T15.-)
- frostbite (T33-T34)
- insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
Code also — inherited from S00-S09
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition fully. Whether S09.3 is sequenced first depends on the reason for the encounter.
- for any associated infection
What codes fall under S09.3? (3)
How long has S09.3 existed?
S09.3 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.