2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H91.90Unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear

ICD-10-CM Codes›H60–H95›H90-H94›H91

ICD-10-CM H91.90
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

H91.90 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 154 through 156. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Hearing loss.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H91.90
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear
Short Description
Unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H91.9
Unspecified hearing loss

Code Classification

ChapterH60–H95Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
SectionH90-H94Other disorders of ear
CategoryH91Other and unspecified hearing loss
This CodeH91.90Unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Abruzzo Erickson syndrome
  • Acquired hearing loss
  • Alopecia, onychodysplasia, hypohidrosis, deafness ectodermal dysplasia
  • Asymmetrical hearing loss
  • Ataxia with deafness and intellectual disability syndrome
  • Atherosclerosis, deafness, diabetes, epilepsy, nephropathy syndrome
  • Autosomal dominant distal hereditary motor neuropathy
  • Autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia, blindness, deafness syndrome
  • Bilateral congenital malformation of external ears
  • Bilateral hearing loss
  • Bilateral microtia with deafness and cleft palate syndrome
  • Bilateral optic atrophy of eyes
  • Camptodactyly and tall stature with scoliosis and hearing loss syndrome
  • Caudal appendage deafness syndrome
  • Central nervous system calcification, deafness, tubular acidosis, anemia syndrome
  • Choanal atresia
  • Choanal atresia, hearing loss, cardiac defect, craniofacial dysmorphism syndrome
  • Choroideremia
  • Choroideremia with deafness and obesity syndrome
  • Chronic deafness
  • Cleft lip and palate, craniofacial dysmorphism, congenital heart defect, hearing loss syndrome
  • Combined visual and hearing impairment
  • Complete deafness
  • Conductive hearing loss of left ear
  • Conductive hearing loss of right ear
  • Conductive hearing loss, bilateral
  • Congenital absence of abdominal muscle
  • Congenital anomaly of caudal vertebra
  • Congenital anomaly of subcutaneous tissue
  • Congenital cleft hand
  • Congenital generalized lipodystrophy
  • Congenital hereditary facial paralysis with variable hearing loss syndrome
  • Congenital keratoderma
  • Congenital leukonychia
  • Congenital mixed conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
  • Deaf blind hypopigmentation syndrome Yemenite type
  • Deafness and intellectual disability Martin Probst type syndrome
  • Deafness and myopia syndrome
  • Deafness, enamel hypoplasia, nail defect syndrome
  • Deafness, small bowel diverticulosis, neuropathy syndrome
  • Decreased hearing
  • Diabetes mellitus associated with genetic syndrome
  • Disorder of speech and language development
  • Dominant autosomal hereditary disorder, incomplete penetrance
  • Dysmorphism, short stature, deafness, disorder of sex development syndrome
  • Early-onset progressive encephalopathy, hearing loss, pons hypoplasia, brain atrophy syndrome
  • Finding of ability to hear conversational voice
  • Finding of ability to hear loud voice
  • Finding of ability to hear whisper
  • Finding of type of voice production
  • Fountain syndrome
  • Hearing difficulty
  • Hearing disorder
  • Hearing for conversational voice impaired
  • Hearing for loud voice impaired
  • Hearing for voice impaired
  • Hearing loss
  • Hearing loss associated with syndrome
  • Hearing problem
  • Hereditary choroidal dystrophy
  • Hereditary hearing loss
  • Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy with deafness and global delay
  • Hereditary sensory neuropathy
  • Knuckle pads
  • Knuckle pads, leukonychia, sensorineural deafness, palmoplantar hyperkeratosis syndrome
  • Lipodystrophy, intellectual disability, deafness syndrome
  • Medication non-adherence due to hearing impairment
  • MEDNIK syndrome
  • Microtia
  • Mild acquired hearing loss
  • Mild to moderate hearing loss
  • Mitchell syndrome
  • Mitochondrial myopathy, lactic acidosis, deafness syndrome
  • Mixed conductive AND sensorineural hearing loss
  • Mixed conductive and sensorineural hearing loss of left ear
  • Mixed conductive and sensorineural hearing loss of right ear
  • Mixed conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral
  • Mixed sensory-motor polyneuropathy
  • Moderate acquired hearing loss
  • Motor polyneuropathy
  • Myoclonus, cerebellar ataxia, deafness syndrome
  • Neonatal hearing loss
  • Nephropathy, deafness, hyperparathyroidism syndrome
  • Neural hearing loss
  • Non-syndromic genetic hearing loss
  • Oculootoradial syndrome
  • Otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia
  • Palmoplantar keratoderma with deafness syndrome
  • Parathyroid hyperplasia
  • Partial deafness
  • Perception of hearing loss
  • Peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, hoarseness, hearing loss syndrome
  • Peripheral sensory neuropathy
  • Photomyoclonus, diabetes mellitus, deafness, nephropathy and cerebral dysfunction
  • Polyneuropathy, hearing loss, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa, cataract syndrome
  • Primary hyperparathyroidism
  • Profound acquired hearing loss
  • Profound hearing loss
  • Prune belly syndrome
  • Prune belly syndrome with pulmonic stenosis, intellectual disability and deafness
  • Retinitis pigmentosa-deafness syndrome
  • Retinitis pigmentosa-deafness-ataxia syndrome
  • Rubella deafness
  • Sensorineural hearing loss of bilateral ears
  • Sensory neuropathy
  • Sensory polyneuropathy
  • Severe acquired hearing loss
  • Severe hearing loss
  • Spastic paraparesis
  • Spastic paraparesis and deafness
  • Spastic paraplegia, nephritis, deafness syndrome
  • Speech and language developmental delay due to hearing loss
  • Split foot
  • Split hand, split foot malformation with sensorineural hearing loss syndrome
  • Traumatic deafness
  • Traumatic deafness, non-occupational
  • Unable to hear conversational voice
  • Unable to hear loud voice
  • Unable to hear whisper
  • Usher syndrome type 1
  • Usher syndrome type 1F
  • Usher syndrome type 2
  • Voice associated with deafness
  • Wolfram syndrome
  • X-linked hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy with deafness
  • X-linked sensorineural hearing loss

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EAR004
Hearing loss
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Correction of Hearing Impairment

    procedures for correcting hearing disorders.

  • Deafness

    a general term for the complete loss of the ability to hear from both ears.

  • Hearing Loss

    a general term for the complete or partial loss of the ability to hear from one or both ears.

  • Hearing Loss, Bilateral

    partial hearing loss in both ears.

  • Hearing Loss, Central

    hearing loss due to disease of the auditory pathways (in the central nervous system) which originate in the cochlear nuclei of the pons and then ascend bilaterally to the midbrain, the thalamus, and then the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe. bilateral lesions of the auditory pathways are usually required to cause central hearing loss. cortical deafness refers to loss of hearing due to bilateral auditory cortex lesions. unilateral brain stem lesions involving the cochlear nuclei may result in unilateral hearing loss.

  • Hearing Loss, Conductive

    hearing loss due to interference with the mechanical reception or amplification of sound to the cochlea. the interference is in the outer or middle ear involving the ear canal; tympanic membrane; or ear ossicles.

  • Hearing Loss, Functional

    hearing loss without a physical basis. often observed in patients with psychological or behavioral disorders.

  • Hearing Loss, Hidden

    hearing loss that is difficult to diagnose by standard hearing tests as it most often pertains to difficulties in hearing only in certain situations such as in noisy environments.

  • Hearing Loss, High-Frequency

    hearing loss in frequencies above 1000 hertz.

  • Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural

    hearing loss due to damage or impairment of both the conductive elements (hearing loss, conductive) and the sensorineural elements (hearing loss, sensorineural) of the ear.

  • Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced

    hearing loss due to exposure to explosive loud noise or chronic exposure to sound level greater than 85 db. the hearing loss is often in the frequency range 4000-6000 hertz.

  • Hearing Loss, Sensorineural

    hearing loss resulting from damage to the cochlea and the sensorineural elements which lie internally beyond the oval and round windows. these elements include the auditory nerve and its connections in the brainstem.

  • Hearing Loss, Sudden

    sensorineural hearing loss which develops suddenly over a period of hours or a few days. it varies in severity from mild to total deafness. sudden deafness can be due to head trauma, vascular diseases, infections, or can appear without obvious cause or warning.

  • Hearing Loss, Unilateral

    partial or complete hearing loss in one ear.

  • Retrocochlear Diseases

    pathological processes involving the vestibulocochlear nerve; brainstem; or central nervous system. when hearing loss is due to retrocochlear pathology, it is called retrocochlear hearing loss.

  • Choanal Atresia

    a congenital abnormality that is characterized by a blocked choanae, the opening between the nose and the nasopharynx. blockage can be unilateral or bilateral; bony or membranous.

  • Prune Belly Syndrome

    a syndrome characterized by abdominal wall musculature deficiency, cryptorchism, and urinary tract abnormalities. the syndrome derives its name from its characteristic distended abdomen with wrinkled skin.

  • Wolfram Syndrome

    a hereditary condition characterized by multiple symptoms including those of diabetes insipidus; diabetes mellitus; optic atrophy; and deafness. this syndrome is also known as didmoad (first letter of each word) and is usually associated with vasopressin deficiency. it is caused by mutations in gene wfs1 encoding wolframin, a 100-kda transmembrane protein.

  • Choroideremia

    an x chromosome-linked abnormality characterized by atrophy of the choroid and degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium causing night blindness.

  • Hearing Disorders

    conditions that impair the transmission of auditory impulses and information from the level of the ear to the temporal cortices, including the sensorineural pathways.

  • Conductive Hearing Loss of Combined Sites|Conductive hearing loss of combined sites

    conductive hear loss presenting across multiple sites in the ear.

  • Have Problems with Hearing Loss that Make Me Angry Question|Have Problems with Hearing Loss that Make Me Angry|I have problems with my hearing that make me angry

    a question about whether an individual has or had problems with their hearing that makes them angry.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Angry Question|Does your hearing make you angry|Hearing Loss Makes Me Angry

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them angry.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Different from Everyone Else Question|Do you feel different from others because of your hearing|Does your hearing loss make you feel different from everyone else|Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Different from Everyone Else

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them feel different from everyone else.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Different from Other Teens Question|Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Different from Other Teens|My hearing loss makes me feel different from other teens

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them feel different from other teens.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Nervous Question|Does your hearing cause you to be nervous|Hearing Loss Makes Me Nervous|My hearing loss makes me nervous

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them nervous.

  • Worry About Hearing Loss Getting Worse Question|Do you worry about your hearing loss getting worse|I worry about my hearing loss getting worse|Worry About Hearing Loss Getting Worse

    a question about whether an individual worries about their hearing loss getting worse.

  • Bart-Pumphrey Syndrome|Knuckle Pads, Leukonychia and Sensorineural Deafness|Knuckle pads, leuconychia and deafness

    a rare autosomal dominant condition caused by mutation(s) in the gjb2 gene, encoding gap junction beta-2 protein (connexin-26). this condition is characterized by sensorineural hearing loss, hyperkeratotic plaques on finger joints (knuckle pads), and white discoloration of nails (leukonychia) and may also be associated with palmoplantar keratoderma.

  • Hearing Disorder

    a disorder characterized by the partial or complete loss of the ability to detect sounds due to damage to the ear structures or inability of the brain to properly interpret or process the auditory signals it receives from the anatomic structures of the ear.

  • Central Hearing Loss

    hearing loss resulting from disorders of the central nervous system auditory pathways.

  • Complete Deafness|Total Deafness|Total Hearing Loss

    total inability to hear sounds in one or both ears.

  • Complete Neonatal Hearing Loss

    complete loss of the ability to detect or understand sounds present in an infant within its first month after birth.

  • Conductive Hearing Loss|Conductive Deafness

    hearing loss caused by impaired transmission of signals from the external auditory canal or middle ear to the cochlea.

  • DLX5 wt Allele|Distal-Less Homeo Box 5 Gene|Distal-Less Homeobox 5 wt Allele|SHFM1D|Split Hand/Foot Malformation Type 1 With Sensorineural Hearing Loss Gene

    human dlx5 wild-type allele is located in the vicinity of 7q21.3 and is approximately 5 kb in length. this allele, which encodes homeobox protein dlx-5, plays a role in transcriptional activation that is essential for osteoblast differentiation. mutation of the gene is associated with split-hand/foot malformation 1 with sensorineural hearing loss.

  • Functional Hearing Loss

    hearing loss in the absence of auditory system pathology.

  • Have Problems with Hearing Loss that Make Me Angry|I have problems with my hearing that make me angry

    a question about whether an individual has or had problems with their hearing that makes them angry.

  • Hearing Loss

    a partial or complete loss of hearing in one or both ears. it is classified as conductive, sensory, or central.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Angry|Does your hearing make you angry

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them angry.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Different from Everyone Else|Do you feel different from others because of your hearing|Does your hearing loss make you feel different from everyone else

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them feel different from everyone else.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Feel Different from Other Teens|My hearing loss makes me feel different from other teens

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them feel different from other teens.

  • Hearing Loss Makes Me Nervous|Does your hearing cause you to be nervous|My hearing loss makes me nervous

    a question about whether an individual's hearing loss makes them nervous.

  • High Frequency Hearing Loss|High Frequency Deafness

    a condition in which a person loses the ability to hear high frequency sounds. it is typically associated with impairment of the inner ear.

  • Low Frequency Hearing Loss|Low Frequency Deafness

    sensorineural hearing loss in which a person loses the ability to hear sounds in low frequency.

  • Macrothrombocytopenia and Granulocyte Inclusions with or without Nephritis or Sensorineural Hearing Loss

    an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutation(s) of the myh9 gene, encoding myosin-9. clinical features include thrombocytopenia, giant platelets, and characteristic inclusions in peripheral blood leukocytes, and may be associated with other organ dysfunction. it comprises the epstein syndrome, fechtner syndrome, may-hegglin anomaly, and sebastian syndrome-- all of which were previously believed to be distinct entities.

  • Mixed Hearing Loss|Mixed Conductive and Sensorineural Deafness|Mixed Conductive and Sensorineural Hearing Loss

    hearing loss characterized by a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. it is caused by problems in both the inner ear and middle or outer ear.

  • Neonatal Hearing Loss

    partial or complete loss of the ability to detect or understand sounds present in an infant within its first month after birth.

  • Noise Induced Hearing Loss|NIHL|Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

    a condition in which a person loses the ability to hear due to exposure to high intensity sound.

  • Partial Hearing Loss

    a condition in which a person partially loses the ability to hear sounds in one or both ears.

  • Partial Neonatal Hearing Loss|Partial Neonatal Hearing loss

    partial loss of the ability to detect or understand sounds present in an infant within its first month after birth.

  • Sensorineural Hearing Loss|SNHL|Sensorineural Deafness

    hearing loss resulting from damage to the cochlea, auditory nerve and/or brainstem.

  • Sensory Hearing Loss

    hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea in the inner ear.

  • Worry About Hearing Loss Getting Worse|Do you worry about your hearing loss getting worse|I worry about my hearing loss getting worse

    a question about whether an individual worries about their hearing loss getting worse.

  • Knuckle Pads

    benign skin fibromas, typically occurring over the small joints of the hands and feet, that are associated with repetitive friction or pressure.

  • Usher Syndrome Type 1

    a syndrome characterized by congenital, bilateral, severe sensorineural hearing loss, abnormalities in the vestibular system, and adolescent-onset retinitis pigmentosa.

  • Usher Syndrome Type 2

    a syndrome characterized by congenital, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss that is mild to moderate in the low frequencies and severe to profound in the higher frequencies, no abnormalities in the vestibular system, and retinitis pigmentosa.

  • Usher Syndrome Type 2C|USH2C

    an autosomal recessive sub-type of usher syndrome caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation(s) in the adgrv1 gene, encoding adhesion g protein-coupled receptor v1. it may also result from biallelic digenic mutation(s) in adgrv1 and pdzd7, which encodes pdz domain-containing protein 7.

  • Neonatal Severe Primary Hyperparathyroidism

    an autosomal recessive form of kenny-caffey syndrome that is secondary to mutation(s) in the tcbe gene that encodes tubulin-specific chaperone e; it is characterized by the following: hypoparathyroidism with hypocalcemia, marked growth retardation, craniofacial anomalies, absent diploic space, cortical thickening and medullary stenosis of long bones, and small hands and feet.

  • Primary Hyperparathyroidism

    hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands resulting in the overproduction of parathyroid hormone. it is caused by parathyroid adenoma, parathyroid hyperplasia, parathyroid carcinoma, and multiple endocrine neoplasia. it is associated with hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia. signs and symptoms include weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, constipation, depression, bone pain, osteoporosis, cystic bone lesions, and kidney stones.

  • Hearing Loss Type|HEARLTYP|Type of Hearing Loss

    the classification or categorization of hearing loss experienced by an individual.

  • Polyneuropathy, Hearing Loss, Ataxia, Retinitis Pigmentosa, and Cataract|PHARC

    an autosomal recessive condition caused by mutation(s) in the abhd12 gene, encoding lysophosphatidylserine lipase abhd12. it is characterized by polyneuropathy, hearing loss, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa and cataract.

  • Neonatal Severe Primary Hyperparathyroidism

    a genetic condition caused by loss-of-function mutation(s) in the casr gene, encoding extracellular calcium-sensing receptor. it is characterized by severe hypercalcemia and metabolic bone disease occurring in the first six months of life.

Patient EducationClinical

Hearing Disorders and Deafness

It's frustrating to be unable to hear well enough to enjoy talking with friends or family. Hearing disorders make it hard, but not impossible, to hear. They can often be helped. Deafness can keep you from hearing sound at all.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H91.90 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
389.9 Hearing loss 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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About H91.90Overview

Is H91.90 (Unspecified hearing loss) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does H91.90 group to?

When unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 154, 155, 156, with relative weights from 0.6911 to 1.5635 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H91.90?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear converts to ICD-9-CM 389.9 (hearing loss NOS). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:

  • The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
  • The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.