2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H61.20Impacted cerumen, unspecified ear

ICD-10-CM Codes›H60–H95›H60-H62›H61

ICD-10-CM H61.20
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

H61.20 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for impacted cerumen, unspecified ear. 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. The code is flagged as a questionable admission, since it rarely justifies inpatient admission on its own. Coders also document this condition as contents of ear canal - finding. 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
H61.20
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Impacted cerumen, unspecified ear
Short Description
Impacted cerumen, unspecified ear
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H61.2
Impacted cerumen

Code Classification

ChapterH60–H95Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
SectionH60-H62Diseases of external ear
CategoryH61Other disorders of external ear
This CodeH61.20Impacted cerumen, unspecified ear

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for H61.20.

Questionable admission codes
Some diagnoses are not usually sufficient justification for admission to an acute care hospital. For example, if a patient is given code R030 for elevated blood pressure reading, without diagnosis of hypertension, then the patient would have a questionable admission, since elevated blood pressure reading is not normally sufficient justification for admission to a hospital. The following list contains diagnosis codes identified as questionable admission when used.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Contents of ear canal - finding
  • Excessive cerumen in ear canal
  • Impacted cerumen
  • Wax in ear canal

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to H61.20: 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 H61.20, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming H61.20: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • H91 Other and unspecified hearing loss
    impacted cerumen (H61.2-) names H61.2-, which includes this code

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

Patient EducationClinical

Ear Disorders

An ear disorder is any condition that changes or harms the shape or structure of your ear. This can include abnormal ear shapes you're born with, injuries that change your ear's shape, and a growth on or in the ear.

The full article covers:

  • What is an ear disorder?
  • What causes ear disorders?
  • What are the symptoms of ear disorders?
  • How are ear disorders diagnosed?
  • How are ear disorders treated?
  • Can ear disorders be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H61.20 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
380.4 Impacted cerumen
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 H61.20Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for impacted cerumen, unspecified ear?

The ICD-10-CM code for impacted cerumen, unspecified ear is H61.20 (sometimes written as H6120). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is H61.20 (Impacted cerumen) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does H61.20 group to?

When impacted cerumen, unspecified ear 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.

Does H61.20 justify an inpatient admission?

Not on its own. The Medicare Code Editor lists this code as a questionable admission because impacted cerumen, unspecified ear is not usually sufficient justification for admission to an acute care hospital.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H61.20?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, impacted cerumen, unspecified ear converts to ICD-9-CM 380.4 (impacted cerumen). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.