2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H60.03Abscess of external ear, bilateral

ICD-10-CM Codes›H60–H95›H60-H62›H60

ICD-10-CM H60.03
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H60.03 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for abscess of external ear, bilateral. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 154 through 156. Coders also document this condition as abscess of bilateral external ears. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified and unspecified disorders of the ear.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H60.03
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Abscess of external ear, bilateral
Short Description
Abscess of external ear, bilateral
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H60.0
Abscess of external ear

Code Classification

ChapterH60–H95Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
SectionH60-H62Diseases of external ear
CategoryH60Otitis externa
This CodeH60.03Abscess of external ear, bilateral

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Abscess of bilateral external ears
  • Abscess of external ear
  • Abscess of left external ear
  • Abscess of right external ear

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H60.03: its own notes plus those printed at Chapter 8. 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 8 (H60-H95) Diseases of the ear and mastoid process applies to 653 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)
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
  • 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)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 8 (H60-H95) Diseases of the ear and mastoid process applies to 653 codes
  • Use an external cause code following the code for the ear condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the ear 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 H60.03, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes2 1

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming H60.03: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • L02.0 Cutaneous abscess, furuncle and carbuncle of face
    abscess of ear, external (H60.0) names H60.0, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EAR006
Other specified and unspecified disorders of the ear
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Otitis Externa

    inflammation of the outer ear including the external ear canal, cartilages of the auricle (ear cartilage), and the tympanic membrane.

Patient EducationClinical

Abscess

An abscess is a pocket of pus. You can get an abscess almost anywhere in your body. When an area of your body becomes infected, your body's immune system tries to fight the infection. White blood cells go to the infected area, collect within the damaged tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process, pus forms.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H60.03 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
380.10 Infec otitis externa NOS
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

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 H60.03Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for abscess of external ear, bilateral?

The ICD-10-CM code for abscess of external ear, bilateral is H60.03 (sometimes written as H6003). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H60.03 (Abscess of external ear) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does H60.03 group to?

When abscess of external ear, bilateral is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 156, 155, 154, with relative weights from 0.6656 to 1.5916 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H60.03?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, abscess of external ear, bilateral converts to ICD-9-CM 380.10 (infec otitis externa NOS). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.