2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H18.9Unspecified disorder of cornea

ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H15-H22›H18

ICD-10-CM H18.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H18.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified disorder of cornea. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 124 through 125. Coders also document this condition as bilateral keratopathy caused by drug. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Cornea and external disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H18.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified disorder of cornea
Short Description
Unspecified disorder of cornea
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H18
Other disorders of cornea

Code Classification

ChapterH00–H59Diseases of the eye and adnexa
SectionH15-H22Disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body
CategoryH18Other disorders of cornea
This CodeH18.9Unspecified disorder of cornea

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Bilateral keratopathy caused by drug
  • Corneal disorder caused by monkeypox virus
  • Disorder of cornea
  • Drug-induced disorder of cornea
  • Keratopathy due to corneal stem cell failure
  • Keratopathy of left eye caused by drug
  • Keratopathy of right eye caused by drug
  • Lesion of cornea

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H18.9: 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.

From Chapter 7 (H00-H59) Diseases of the eye and adnexa applies to 2,677 codes
  • 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.

From Chapter 7 (H00-H59) Diseases of the eye and adnexa applies to 2,677 codes
  • 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.

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR EYE001
Cornea and external disease
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

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 H18.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
371.9 Corneal disorder NOS
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About H18.9Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified disorder of cornea?

The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified disorder of cornea is H18.9 (sometimes written as H189). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H18.9 (Other disorders of cornea) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified disorder of cornea on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does H18.9 group to?

When unspecified disorder of cornea is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 125, 124, with relative weights from 0.7699 to 1.2470 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H18.9?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified disorder of cornea converts to ICD-9-CM 371.9 (corneal disorder NOS). The mapping is a direct match.