2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H50.16Alternating exotropia with A pattern

ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H49-H52›H50

ICD-10-CM H50.16
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

H50.16 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for alternating exotropia with A pattern. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 124 through 125. Coders also document this condition as a pattern strabismus. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Strabismus.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H50.16
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Alternating exotropia with A pattern
Short Description
Alternating exotropia with A pattern
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H50.1
Exotropia

Code Classification

ChapterH00–H59Diseases of the eye and adnexa
SectionH49-H52Disorders of ocular muscles, binocular movement, accommodation and refraction
CategoryH50Other strabismus
This CodeH50.16Alternating exotropia with A pattern

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • A pattern strabismus
  • Alternating exotropia
  • Alternating exotropia with A pattern

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Strabismus(congenital) (nonparalytic)
      • divergent concomitant
        • alternating
          • with
            • A pattern

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EYE007
Strabismus
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Exotropia

    a form of ocular misalignment where the visual axes diverge inappropriately. for example, medial rectus muscle weakness may produce this condition as the affected eye will deviate laterally upon attempted forward gaze. an exotropia occurs due to the relatively unopposed force exerted on the eye by the lateral rectus muscle, which pulls the eye in an outward direction.

Patient EducationClinical

Eye Movement Disorders

When you look at an object, you're using several muscles to move both eyes to focus on it. If you have a problem with the muscles, the eyes don't work properly.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert H50.16 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
378.16 Alt exotropia w a pattrn
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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About H50.16Overview

Is H50.16 (Exotropia) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report alternating exotropia with A pattern on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does H50.16 group to?

When alternating exotropia with A pattern is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 124, 125, with relative weights from 0.7678 to 1.3231 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H50.16?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, alternating exotropia with A pattern converts to ICD-9-CM 378.16 (alt exotropia w a pattrn). The mapping is a direct match.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.