ICD-10-CM Code For Blindness And Low Vision: Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group H54 includes diagnoses for varying degrees of visual impairment, from low vision to blindness in one or both eyes, and codes that specify laterality and unspecified involvement. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document clinical scenarios involving decreased visual acuity, legal blindness determinations, or vision loss resulting from ocular disease or injury, capturing severity and laterality. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM H54 group supports proper claim adjudication.

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ICD-10-CM H54: Blindness And Low Vision Overview

The ICD-10-CM H54 group captures diagnoses for blindness and low vision affecting one or both eyes and reflects the level of visual impairment. These codes target the visual system and are used when documenting reduced visual acuity or legal blindness. Accurate coding matters for proper claim adjudication and to reflect the clinical severity for services and support needs.

When to Use

Use a code from this group when a patient presents with documented decreased visual acuity, legal blindness, or other clinically assessed vision impairment that requires coding for the encounter. Select the code that reflects the severity and laterality documented in the medical record to ensure accurate reporting.

ICD-10-CM Codes

44 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
H54.0X33	Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 3
H54.0X34	Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 4
H54.0X35	Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 5
H54.0X43	Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 3
H54.0X44	Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 4
H54.0X45	Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 5
H54.0X53	Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 3
H54.0X54	Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 4
H54.0X55	Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 5
H54.10	Blindness, one eye, low vision other eye, unspecified eyes
H54.1131	Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eye category 1
H54.1132	Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eye category 2
H54.1141	Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eye category 1
H54.1142	Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eye category 2
H54.1151	Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eye category 1
H54.1152	Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eye category 2
H54.1213	Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 3
H54.1214	Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 4
H54.1215	Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 5
H54.1223	Low vision right eye category 2, blindness left eye category 3

Showing 1–20 of 44

DRG Codes

2 rows

DRG Code	Description
124	Other Disorders of the Eye with MCC or Thrombolytic Agent
125	Other Disorders of the Eye without MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An older adult with long-standing bilateral age-related macular degeneration reports progressive, painless central vision loss and difficulty reading and recognizing faces. They present for low-vision evaluation and functional assessment to determine assistive devices and safety at home; the clinician documents the level of visual acuity and legal blindness status. A code from this group is assigned to capture the bilateral severe visual impairment due to chronic retinal disease. Typical codes: H54.0X33, H54.0X34
A middle-aged driver arrives at the emergency department after a chemical splash to the right eye causing acute vision loss in that eye; ophthalmology assesses profound vision reduction limited to light perception only in the affected eye. The encounter documents the sudden monocular blindness and urgent management, so an appropriate unilateral blindness code from the group is recorded to reflect the acute loss of vision in one eye. Typical codes: H54.2X11, H54.2X12
A patient with long-standing poorly controlled diabetes is hospitalized for a foot ulcer; the problem list includes severe visual impairment that limits self-care, requiring assistance with medication and glucose monitoring. The visual impairment is documented as a comorbidity affecting discharge planning and home health needs, so a code from the group is used to describe the chronic low vision impacting activities of daily living. Typical codes: H54.7, H54.8

Related Codes

H53-VISUAL-DISTURBANCES

ICD-10-CM Code For Visual Disturbances: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

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.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.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.

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When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

44 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
H54.0X33	Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 3
H54.0X34	Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 4
H54.0X35	Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 5
H54.0X43	Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 3
H54.0X44	Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 4
H54.0X45	Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 5
H54.0X53	Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 3
H54.0X54	Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 4
H54.0X55	Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 5
H54.10	Blindness, one eye, low vision other eye, unspecified eyes
H54.1131	Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eye category 1
H54.1132	Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eye category 2
H54.1141	Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eye category 1
H54.1142	Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eye category 2
H54.1151	Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eye category 1
H54.1152	Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eye category 2
H54.1213	Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 3
H54.1214	Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 4
H54.1215	Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 5
H54.1223	Low vision right eye category 2, blindness left eye category 3

Showing 1–20 of 44

DRG Codes

2 rows

DRG Code	Description
124	Other Disorders of the Eye with MCC or Thrombolytic Agent
125	Other Disorders of the Eye without MCC

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An older adult with long-standing bilateral age-related macular degeneration reports progressive, painless central vision loss and difficulty reading and recognizing faces. They present for low-vision evaluation and functional assessment to determine assistive devices and safety at home; the clinician documents the level of visual acuity and legal blindness status. A code from this group is assigned to capture the bilateral severe visual impairment due to chronic retinal disease. Typical codes: H54.0X33, H54.0X34
A middle-aged driver arrives at the emergency department after a chemical splash to the right eye causing acute vision loss in that eye; ophthalmology assesses profound vision reduction limited to light perception only in the affected eye. The encounter documents the sudden monocular blindness and urgent management, so an appropriate unilateral blindness code from the group is recorded to reflect the acute loss of vision in one eye. Typical codes: H54.2X11, H54.2X12
A patient with long-standing poorly controlled diabetes is hospitalized for a foot ulcer; the problem list includes severe visual impairment that limits self-care, requiring assistance with medication and glucose monitoring. The visual impairment is documented as a comorbidity affecting discharge planning and home health needs, so a code from the group is used to describe the chronic low vision impacting activities of daily living. Typical codes: H54.7, H54.8

Related Codes

H53-VISUAL-DISTURBANCES

ICD-10-CM Code For Visual Disturbances: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

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.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.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.

ICD-10-CM Code For Blindness And Low Vision: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Blindness And Low Vision: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM H54: Blindness And Low Vision Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Blindness And Low Vision: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Blindness And Low Vision: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM H54: Blindness And Low Vision Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which ICD-10-CM group captures blindness and low vision diagnoses?

How do H54 codes represent laterality and severity?

Which H54 codes indicate one eye blind and the other with normal vision?

Are there H54 codes for unqualified or unspecified visual loss?

Which related DRGs are associated with the H54 diagnosis group?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which ICD-10-CM group captures blindness and low vision diagnoses?

How do H54 codes represent laterality and severity?

Which H54 codes indicate one eye blind and the other with normal vision?

Are there H54 codes for unqualified or unspecified visual loss?

Which related DRGs are associated with the H54 diagnosis group?

References