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Compare/H02.81 vs S00.25

H02.81 vs S00.25

H02.81 (Retained foreign body in eyelid) compared with S00.25 (Superficial foreign body of eyelid and periocular area), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.

Can these codes be reported together?

No — do not report together. H02.81 carries an Excludes1 note covering S00.25: “superficial foreign body of eyelid and periocular area (S00.25-)”

Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Yes, when both are documented. H02.81 carries an Excludes2 note covering S00.25: “superficial injury of eyelid (S00.1-, S00.2-)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

Yes, when both are documented. S00.25 carries an Excludes2 note covering H02.81: “retained foreign body in eyelid (H02.81-)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

Side by side

H02.81Retained foreign body in eyelidS00.25Superficial foreign body of eyelid and periocular area
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: H02.811, H02.812, H02.813, H02.814, H02.815

Non-billable header

Report instead: S00.251A, S00.251D, S00.251S, S00.252A, S00.252D

ClassificationH00-H59 — Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59)S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)
DefinitionRetained foreign body in eyelid is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (H02.81).Superficial foreign body of eyelid and periocular area is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S00.25).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S00
Includes
injuries of ear
injuries of eye
injuries of face [any part]
injuries of gum
Use additional code
code to identify the type of retained foreign body (Z18.-)

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources