2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H26.8Other specified cataract
ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H25-H28›H26
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Chronic Condition
H26.8 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other specified cataract. 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. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Cataract and other lens disorders.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Adherent cataract
- Anterior subcapsular cataract of left eye
- Anterior subcapsular cataract of right eye
- Anterior subcapsular polar cataract of left eye
- Axial cataract
- Bilateral calcified cataracts
- Bilateral ocular hypertension due to pseudoexfoliation
- Bilateral posterior subcapsular cataract
- Calcified cataract
- Calcified cataract of left eye
- Calcified cataract of right eye
- Cataract due to and following exposure to infrared radiation
- Cataract due to and following exposure to radiation
- Cataract maturity - finding
- Cortical cataract
- Cortical nonsenile cataract
- Hypermature cataract
- Intellectual disability, early-onset cataract, microcephaly syndrome
- Lens nuclear hyper-refringence
- Mixed type cataract
- Nonsenile cataract
- Ocular hypertension of left eye due to pseudoexfoliation
- Ocular hypertension of right eye due to pseudoexfoliation
- Polychromatic posterior subcapsular cataract
- Post cranial irradiation cataract
- Posterior subcapsular cataract of left eye
- Posterior subcapsular cataract of right eye
- Pseudoexfoliation of bilateral lens capsules
- Pseudoexfoliation of left lens capsule
- Pseudoexfoliation of lens capsule
- Pseudoexfoliation of right lens capsule
- Secondary ocular hypertension due to pseudoexfoliation
- Shrunken cataract
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H26.8: its own notes plus those printed at H26 and Chapter 7. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
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.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Cataract (cortical) (immature) (incipient) H26.9
radiation H26.8
electric H26.8
glass-blower's H26.8
heat ray H26.8
specified NEC H26.8
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding of the clear lens inside your eye. This cloudiness blocks light from reaching the back of the eye, making it harder to see clearly. A cataract can affect one or both eyes, but it doesn't spread from one eye to the other.
The full article covers:
- What are cataracts?
- What causes cataracts?
- Who is more likely to develop cataracts?
- What are the symptoms of cataracts?
- How are cataracts diagnosed?
- How are cataracts treated?
- Can cataracts be prevented?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert H26.8 to ICD-9-CMHistory
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About H26.8Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for other specified cataract?
The ICD-10-CM code for other specified cataract is H26.8 (sometimes written as H268). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is H26.8 (Other cataract) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other specified cataract on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does H26.8 group to?
When other specified cataract 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.
Can H26.8 be reported with Q12.0?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at H26, which applies to H26.8, lists "congenital cataract (Q12.0)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H26.8?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, other specified cataract converts to ICD-9-CM 366.46 (cataract w radiation) and 366.8 (cataract NEC). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
