H54
Non-Billable

Blindness and low vision

Non-Billable / Non-Specific Code

What is Blindness and low vision?

ICD-10-CM H54 is the diagnosis code for Blindness and low vision. This code falls under the section "Visual disturbances and blindness" within Chapter 7 — Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59). It is a non-billable/non-specific ICD-10-CM code that should not be used for reimbursement. A more specific sub-code is required for billing. Medical coders and healthcare providers use this code to document and classify diagnoses in electronic health records, insurance claims, and clinical databases.

⛔ Excludes1

Coding Guidelines for H54

⛔ Type 1 Excludes (Never code together)

The following conditions should never be coded at the same time as H54. They are mutually exclusive:

  • amaurosis fugax (G45.3)

ICD-10-CM Code Hierarchy

Understanding where H54 sits in the ICD-10-CM classification helps ensure proper coding:

Sub-Codes 9 entries
H54.0Blindness, both eyesNon-BillableH54.0XBlindness, both eyes, different category levelsNon-BillableH54.0X3Blindness right eye, category 3Non-BillableH54.0X33Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 3BillableH54.0X34Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 4BillableH54.0X35Blindness right eye category 3, blindness left eye category 5BillableH54.0X4Blindness right eye, category 4Non-BillableH54.0X43Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 3BillableH54.0X44Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 4BillableH54.0X45Blindness right eye category 4, blindness left eye category 5BillableH54.0X5Blindness right eye, category 5Non-BillableH54.0X53Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 3BillableH54.0X54Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 4BillableH54.0X55Blindness right eye category 5, blindness left eye category 5BillableH54.1Blindness, one eye, low vision other eyeNon-BillableH54.10Blindness, one eye, low vision other eye, unspecified eyesBillableH54.11Blindness, right eye, low vision left eyeNon-BillableH54.113Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eyeNon-BillableH54.1131Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eye category 1BillableH54.1132Blindness right eye category 3, low vision left eye category 2BillableH54.114Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eyeNon-BillableH54.1141Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eye category 1BillableH54.1142Blindness right eye category 4, low vision left eye category 2BillableH54.115Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eyeNon-BillableH54.1151Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eye category 1BillableH54.1152Blindness right eye category 5, low vision left eye category 2BillableH54.12Blindness, left eye, low vision right eyeNon-BillableH54.121Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eyeNon-BillableH54.1213Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 3BillableH54.1214Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 4BillableH54.1215Low vision right eye category 1, blindness left eye category 5BillableH54.122Low vision right eye category 2, blindness left eyeNon-BillableH54.1223Low vision right eye category 2, blindness left eye category 3BillableH54.1224Low vision right eye category 2, blindness left eye category 4BillableH54.1225Low vision right eye category 2, blindness left eye category 5BillableH54.2Low vision, both eyesNon-BillableH54.2XLow vision, both eyes, different category levelsNon-BillableH54.2X1Low vision, right eye, category 1Non-BillableH54.2X11Low vision right eye category 1, low vision left eye category 1BillableH54.2X12Low vision right eye category 1, low vision left eye category 2BillableH54.2X2Low vision, right eye, category 2Non-BillableH54.2X21Low vision right eye category 2, low vision left eye category 1BillableH54.2X22Low vision right eye category 2, low vision left eye category 2BillableH54.3Unqualified visual loss, both eyesBillableH54.4Blindness, one eyeNon-BillableH54.40Blindness, one eye, unspecified eyeBillableH54.41Blindness, right eye, normal vision left eyeNon-BillableH54.413Blindness, right eye, category 3Non-BillableH54.413ABlindness right eye category 3, normal vision left eyeBillableH54.414Blindness, right eye, category 4Non-BillableH54.414ABlindness right eye category 4, normal vision left eyeBillableH54.415Blindness, right eye, category 5Non-BillableH54.415ABlindness right eye category 5, normal vision left eyeBillableH54.42Blindness, left eye, normal vision right eyeNon-BillableH54.42ABlindness, left eye, category 3-5Non-BillableH54.42A3Blindness left eye category 3, normal vision right eyeBillableH54.42A4Blindness left eye category 4, normal vision right eyeBillableH54.42A5Blindness left eye category 5, normal vision right eyeBillableH54.5Low vision, one eyeNon-BillableH54.50Low vision, one eye, unspecified eyeBillableH54.51Low vision, right eye, normal vision left eyeNon-BillableH54.511Low vision, right eye, category 1Non-BillableH54.511ALow vision right eye category 1, normal vision left eyeBillableH54.512Low vision, right eye, category 2Non-BillableH54.512ALow vision right eye category 2, normal vision left eyeBillableH54.52Low vision, left eye, normal vision right eyeNon-BillableH54.52ALow vision, left eye, category 1-2Non-BillableH54.52A1Low vision left eye category 1, normal vision right eyeBillableH54.52A2Low vision left eye category 2, normal vision right eyeBillableH54.6Unqualified visual loss, one eyeNon-BillableH54.60Unqualified visual loss, one eye, unspecifiedBillableH54.61Unqualified visual loss, right eye, normal vision left eyeBillableH54.62Unqualified visual loss, left eye, normal vision right eyeBillableH54.7Unspecified visual lossBillableH54.8Legal blindness, as defined in USABillable
Related Codes

Frequently Asked Questions

Is H54 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

No, H54 is a non-billable/non-specific code. You should use a more specific sub-code for billing and reimbursement.

What does H54 mean?

H54 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for "Blindness and low vision". It is used by healthcare providers to classify and document this condition in medical records and insurance claims.

What section is H54 in?

H54 is located in Section H53-H54 — "Visual disturbances and blindness" within Chapter 7 of the ICD-10-CM Tabular List.

What are the sub-codes of H54?

H54 has 9 sub-code(s) that provide more specific detail: H54.0, H54.1, H54.2, H54.3, H54.4 and more.

When should I use H54?

Use H54 when the patients documented diagnosis matches "Blindness and low vision" and the clinical documentation supports this level of specificity. Always verify with the latest ICD-10-CM guidelines and payer requirements.

People Also Ask

What is the ICD-10 code for Blindness and low vision?

The ICD-10-CM code for Blindness and low vision is H54.

Can H54 be used for primary diagnosis?

No, H54 is non-billable. Use a more specific sub-code for primary diagnosis billing.

What chapter is H54 in?

H54 is in Chapter 7 of the ICD-10-CM Tabular List.

What conditions are excluded from H54?

Type 1 Excludes for H54 include: amaurosis fugax (G45.3).

Is H54 valid for 2026?

Yes, H54 is a valid ICD-10-CM code for the 2026 fiscal year, subject to official CMS updates.

See Also

← PreviousH53.9Unspecified visual disturbanceNext →H54.0Blindness, both eyes
Code Details
H54
Blindness and low vision
Non-Billable / Non-Specific Code
7 — Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59)
H53-H54 — Visual disturbances and blindness
2026 ICD-10-CM