2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z87.821Personal history of retained foreign body fully removed

ICD-10-CM Codes›Z00–Z99›Z77-Z99›Z87

ICD-10-CM Z87.821
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

Z87.821 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for personal history of retained foreign body fully removed. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor and exempt from POA reporting. Coders also document this condition as history of removal of piercing from ear. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Personal history of other disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
Z87.821
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Personal history of retained foreign body fully removed
Short Description
Personal history of retained foreign body fully removed
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
Z87.82
Personal history of other (healed) physical injury and trauma

Code Classification

ChapterZ00–Z99Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
SectionZ77-Z99Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status
CategoryZ87Personal history of other diseases and conditions
This CodeZ87.821Personal history of retained foreign body fully removed

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z87.821.

Unacceptable principal diagnosis
There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Present on Admission (POA)Billing

Z87.821 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.

  • History of removal of piercing from ear
  • History of removal of piercing from right ear

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.

    • History
      • personal (of)
        • retained foreign body fully removed

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR FAC030
Personal history of other disease
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Foreign Bodies

If you've ever gotten a splinter or had sand in your eye, you've had experience with a foreign body. A foreign body is something that is stuck inside you but isn't supposed to be there. You may inhale or swallow a foreign body, or you may get one from an injury to almost any part of your body.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert Z87.821 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
V15.53 Hx retained FB, rem
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 Z87.821Overview

Is Z87.821 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report personal history of retained foreign body fully removed on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Can Z87.821 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because personal history of retained foreign body fully removed describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

Is Z87.821 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 personal history of retained foreign body fully removed on inpatient claims.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of Z87.821?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, personal history of retained foreign body fully removed converts to ICD-9-CM V15.53 (hx retained FB, rem). The mapping is a direct match.