2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H16.009Unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye
ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H15-H22›H16
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
H16.009 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 121 through 122. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Cornea and external disease.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Bacterial corneal ulcer
- Corneal erosion
- Corneal non-healing epithelial ulcer
- Corneal ulcer
- Corneal ulcer caused by Acanthamoeba
- Corneal ulcer due to vitamin A deficiency
- Dystrophic corneal ulcer
- Infective corneal ulcer
- Inflammatory corneal ulcer
- Limbal guttering
- Neuropathic corneal ulcer
- Protozoal corneal ulcer
- Serpiginous corneal ulcer
- Serpiginous ulcer
- Superficial ulcer of cornea
- Ulcer of limbus cornea with limbal guttering
- Viral corneal ulcer
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H16.009: its own notes plus those printed at Chapter 7. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may 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)
- 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
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the eye condition
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name H16.009, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming H16.009: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Use Additional Code 1
These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and H16.009 is one of the codes named.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Corneal Ulcer
loss of epithelial tissue from the surface of the cornea due to progressive erosion and necrosis of the tissue; usually caused by bacterial, fungal, or viral infection.
Patient EducationClinical
Corneal Disorders
Your cornea is the outermost layer of your eye. It is clear and shaped like a dome. The cornea helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. It also helps your eye to focus. If you wear contact lenses, they float on top of your corneas.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert H16.009 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About H16.009Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye?
The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye is H16.009 (sometimes written as H16009). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is H16.009 (Unspecified corneal ulcer) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does H16.009 group to?
When unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 122, 121, with relative weights from 0.7403 to 1.2249 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H16.009?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified corneal ulcer, unspecified eye converts to ICD-9-CM 370.00 (corneal ulcer NOS). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
