2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S09.309SUnspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela
S09.309S is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela. The 7th character S marks it as a sequela code, which reports a problem that remains after the original condition has resolved. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 913 through 914. The code is exempt from POA reporting. Coders also document this condition as cochlear trauma. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Injury, sequela.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
S09.309S is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review other POA exempt codes.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Cochlear trauma
- Injury of Eustachian tube
- Injury of inner ear
- Injury of middle ear
- Injury of tympanic membrane
- Open wound of ear ossicle
- Open wound of eustachian tube
- Vestibular trauma
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Other and unspecified injuries of head (S09). Use the following options for the applicable episode of care:
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2026, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Ear Disorders
Your ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner. You use all of them in hearing. Sound waves come in through your outer ear. They reach your middle ear, where they make your eardrum vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones, called ossicles, in your middle ear.
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Convert S09.309S to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S09.309SOverview
Is S09.309S (Unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character S in S09.309S mean?
The final character S makes this a sequela code: it reports a lingering problem that remains after the unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear itself has resolved, not the original event.
What MS-DRG does S09.309S group to?
When unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 913, 914, with relative weights from 0.8855 to 1.6346 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is S09.309S exempt from POA reporting?
Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela on inpatient claims.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S09.309S?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela converts to ICD-9-CM 908.9 (late effect injury NOS). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
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.
