2018

  1. ICD-10-CM Codes
    2. ›
  2. H00-H59 Diseases of the eye and adnexa
    3. ›
  3. H53-H54 Visual disturbances and blindness
    4. ›
  4. H54- Blindness and low vision
    5. ›

2018 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.8

Legal blindness, as defined in USA

Applicable To
  • Blindness NOS according to USA definition
Note
  • The table below gives a classification of severity of visual impairment recommended by a WHO Study Group on the Prevention of Blindness, Geneva, 6-10 November 1972.
  • The term 'low vision' in category
    ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54

    Blindness and low vision

      2016 2017 2018 Non-Billable/Non-Specific Code
    Code First
    • any associated underlying cause of the blindness
    Note
    • For definition of visual impairment categories see table below
    Type 1 Excludes
    H54
    comprises categories 1 and 2 of the table, the term 'blindness' categories 3, 4 and 5, and the term 'unqualified visual loss' category 9.
  • If the extent of the visual field is taken into account, patients with a field no greater than 10 but greater than 5 around central fixation should be placed in category 3 and patients with a field no greater than 5 around central fixation should be placed in category 4, even if the central acuity is not impaired.
Type 1 Excludes
Type 1 Excludes Help
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes. It means "not coded here". A type 1 excludes note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as H54.8. A type 1 excludes note is for used for when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
  • legal blindness with specification of impairment level (
    ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.0

    Blindness, both eyes

      2016 2017 2018 - Deleted Code 2018 - New Code Non-Billable/Non-Specific Code
    Applicable To
    • Visual impairment categories 3, 4, 5 in both eyes.
    H54.0-
    ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.7

    Unspecified visual loss

      2016 2017 2018 Billable/Specific Code
    Applicable To
    • Visual impairment category 9 NOS
    H54.7
    )
The following code(s) above H54.8 contain annotation back-references
Annotation Back-References
In this context, annotation back-references refer to codes that contain:
  • Applicable To annotations, or
  • Code Also annotations, or
  • Code First annotations, or
  • Excludes1 annotations, or
  • Excludes2 annotations, or
  • Includes annotations, or
  • Note annotations, or
  • Use Additional annotations
that may be applicable to H54.8:
  • H00-H59
    2018 ICD-10-CM Range H00-H59

    Diseases of the eye and adnexa

    Note
    • Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the eye condition
    Type 2 Excludes
    • 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)
    Diseases of the eye and adnexa
  • H54
    ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54

    Blindness and low vision

      2016 2017 2018 Non-Billable/Non-Specific Code
    Code First
    • any associated underlying cause of the blindness
    Note
    • For definition of visual impairment categories see table below
    Type 1 Excludes
    Blindness and low vision
Approximate Synonyms ICD-10-CM H54.8 is grouped within Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG v35.0):

Convert H54.8 to ICD-9-CM

Code History

Diagnosis Index entries containing back-references to H54.8:

ICD-10-CM Codes Adjacent To H54.8
H54.512A Low vision right eye category 2, normal vision left eye
H54.52 Low vision, left eye, normal vision right eye
H54.52A Low vision, left eye, category 1-2
H54.52A1 Low vision left eye category 1, normal vision right eye
H54.52A2 Low vision left eye category 2, normal vision right eye
H54.6 Unqualified visual loss, one eye
H54.60 …… unspecified
H54.61 Unqualified visual loss, right eye, normal vision left eye
H54.62 Unqualified visual loss, left eye, normal vision right eye
H54.7 Unspecified visual loss
H54.8 Legal blindness, as defined in USA
H55 Nystagmus and other irregular eye movements
H55.0 Nystagmus
H55.00 Unspecified nystagmus
H55.01 Congenital nystagmus
H55.02 Latent nystagmus
H55.03 Visual deprivation nystagmus
H55.04 Dissociated nystagmus
H55.09 Other forms of nystagmus
H55.8 Other irregular eye movements
H55.81 Saccadic eye movements

Reimbursement claims with a date of service on or after October 1, 2015 require the use of ICD-10-CM codes.