ICD-10-CM Codes
H00-H59 Diseases of the eye and adnexa
H53-H54 Visual disturbances and blindness
H54- Blindness and low vision

2019 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.8

Legal blindness, as defined in USA

2016

2017

2018

2019

Billable/Specific Code

H54.8 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
The 2019 edition of ICD-10-CM H54.8 became effective on October 1, 2018.
This is the American ICD-10-CM version of H54.8 - other international versions of ICD-10 H54.8 may differ.

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
Code First
- any associated underlying cause of the blindness
Note
- For definition of visual impairment categories see table below
Type 1 Excludes
- amaurosis fugax (G45.3)
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
Applicable To
- Visual impairment categories 3, 4, 5 in both eyes.
H54.0-
ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.7
Unspecified visual loss
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
2019 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
Code First
- any associated underlying cause of the blindness
Note
- For definition of visual impairment categories see table below
Type 1 Excludes
- amaurosis fugax (G45.3)
Blindness and low vision

Approximate Synonyms

Legal blindness usa

ICD-10-CM H54.8 is grouped within Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG v36.0):

124 Other disorders of the eye with mcc
125 Other disorders of the eye without mcc

Convert H54.8 to ICD-9-CM

Code History

2016 (effective 10/1/2015): New code (first year of non-draft ICD-10-CM)
2017 (effective 10/1/2016): No change
2018 (effective 10/1/2017): No change
2019 (effective 10/1/2018): No change

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

Blindness (acquired) (congenital) (both eyes) H54.0X-
ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.0X-
Blindness, both eyes, different category levels
- legal H54.8 (both eyes) (USA definition)

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.

2019 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.8

Legal blindness, as defined in USA

Blindness and low vision

Blindness, both eyes

Unspecified visual loss

Diseases of the eye and adnexa

Blindness and low vision

Blindness, both eyes, different category levels