Loading...

    Explore
    • Policy Monitoring
    • Live Policy Feed
    • Billing Codes
    • NPI Medicare & Medicaid
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Health Insurance Payers
    • States
    • Service Lines
    • Taxonomy Codes
    Lookup tools
    • Billing Code Lookup
    • CPT Modifier Lookup
    • Provider Taxonomy Code Lookup
    • Healthcare Provider & Facility Lookup
    • Health Insurance Payer Lookup
    • Payer Contact Directory

    Policy & Benchmark Tools

    • Prior Authorization Lookup
    • Coverage Criteria Lookup
    • Timely Filing Lookup
    • Billing Code Reimbursement Rates
    • Payer Comparison Dashboard
    • Facility Comparison Dashboard
    • All tools

    Company

    • About OpenPayer
    • Data Sources
    • Trek Health
    OpenPayerby Trek Health
    LinkedInYouTube

    © 2026 Trek Health. All rights reserved.

    OpenPayer is built and maintained by Trek Health.

    v1.0.28
    OpenPayerBilling CodesDisorders of optic nerve and visual pathwaysICD-10-CM h46-optic-neuritis
    Ask Trek AI about this page

    ICD-10-CM Code For Optic Neuritis: Group Overview

    The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group H46 includes inflammatory disorders of the optic nerve such as acute optic neuritis, including specified laterality and recurrent or bilateral involvement. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document clinical scenarios where optic nerve inflammation is identified, capturing disease severity, laterality, and any associated visual impairment. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM H46 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

    Customize your policy alerts

    Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Optic Neuritis: Group Overview policy alerts

    Get alerted when relevant policies change without checking for updates manually.

    Monitor payer policy activity

    Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

    ICD-10-CM H46: Optic Neuritis Overview

    The ICD-10-CM H46 group represents optic neuritis diagnoses, inflammatory conditions affecting the optic nerve and visual pathways. These codes target disorders of the optic nerve that can cause vision loss, pain with eye movement, and visual field defects. Accurate coding matters for appropriate reimbursement and clear clinical documentation of ocular neurologic disease severity and laterality.

    Table of contents

    Progress1 / 6

    Explore openpayer tools

    • Billing CodesCPT, HCPCS, DRG & more
    • Reimbursement RatesCommercial vs. Medicare rate reports
    • ProvidersHospitals & facilities
    • PayersPlans & market footprint
    • Taxonomy CodesNUCC specialty codes
    • ModifiersCPT modifiers & usage
    • Prior AuthorizationPA policies by payer & drug
    • Timely FilingFiling deadlines by payer
    • Coverage CriteriaMedical necessity by payer
    • Payer ContactsClaims, PA & appeals contacts
    View all tools

    When to Use

    Use a code from this group when clinical evaluation documents optic neuritis or optic nerve inflammation as the primary diagnosis, including laterality and episode status. Select the code that matches documented features such as unilateral or bilateral involvement and whether the episode is recurrent or initial.

    ICD-10-CM Codes

    12 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    H46.00Optic papillitis, unspecified eye
    H46.01Optic papillitis, right eye
    H46.02Optic papillitis, left eye
    H46.03Optic papillitis, bilateral
    H46.10Retrobulbar neuritis, unspecified eye
    H46.11Retrobulbar neuritis, right eye
    H46.12Retrobulbar neuritis, left eye
    H46.13Retrobulbar neuritis, bilateral
    H46.2Nutritional optic neuropathy
    H46.3Toxic optic neuropathy
    H46.8Other optic neuritis
    H46.9Unspecified optic neuritis

    DRG Codes

    1 rows

    DRG CodeDescription
    123Neurological Eye Disorders

    Typical Clinical Scenarios

    • A young adult presents to the emergency department with sudden, painful monocular vision loss over 24–48 hours accompanied by eye movement–related pain and an afferent pupillary defect on exam. Neuroimaging and bedside tests support an acute inflammatory optic neuropathy without systemic infective features; an optic neuritis diagnosis is assigned for acute onset unilateral optic nerve inflammation. Typical codes: H46.01, H46.02
    • A middle-aged patient with multiple sclerosis in outpatient neurology follow-up reports subacute blurred vision in one eye over several days with relative preservation of color vision and a prior documented episode months earlier. Because this represents a recurrent or ongoing optic nerve inflammatory episode managed outside the hospital setting, a code from this group for optic neuritis is used to reflect the current inflammatory optic nerve involvement. Typical codes: H46.11, H46.12
    • An elderly patient hospitalized after a systemic vasculitic illness develops bilateral progressive visual decline and pale swollen optic discs on funduscopic exam, raising concern for ischemic or inflammatory optic neuropathy as a complication of the primary disease; clinicians document optic nerve involvement as a comorbidity impacting prognosis and management. Typical codes: H46.2, H46.3

    Related Codes

    H47-OTHER-DISORDERS-OF-OPTIC-NERVE

    ICD-10-CM Code For Other Disorders Of Optic Nerve And Visual Pathways: Group Overview

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
    Published by

    Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

    Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.