Alphabetic Index FY2027

H54

Blindness and low vision

FY2027Chapter 7: Diseases of the eye and adnexa/H53–H54 Visual disturbances and blindness

Non-billable headerNot valid on its own. Use one of the more specific codes under it.

H54 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code category for blindness and low vision. Report a more specific code from it instead. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. The more specific codes under it are H54.0 Blindness, both eyes; H54.1 Blindness, one eye, low vision other eye; H54.2 Low vision, both eyes; H54.3 Unqualified visual loss, both eyes and 5 more. Its coding notes include a Code first instruction, 1 Excludes1 entry and 11 Excludes2 entries.

Guidelines tip

From the FY2027 Official Guidelines. ICD10Ref adds no rules of its own.

When blindness or low vision is documented without the visual impairment category, the code depends on whether one eye, both eyes or an unspecified number of eyes is affected.

Guidelines I.C.7.bBlindness and low vision without a categoryRead the official text

Code first

If the underlying condition listed here is present and known, sequence it first.

This code
  • any associated underlying cause of the blindness

Excludes1

Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.

This code

Excludes2

Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.

Also from chapter/block level (11 notes)
Inherited from Chapter 7 Diseases of the eye and adnexa
  • 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)

Notes

This code
  • For definition of visual impairment categories see table below
Also from chapter/block level (1 note)
Inherited from Chapter 7 Diseases of the eye and adnexa
  • Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the eye condition

More specific codes under H54 9