H05.5 vs T15
H05.5 (Retained (old) foreign body following penetrating wound of orbit) compared with T15 (Foreign body on external eye), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Can these codes be reported together?
Yes, when both are documented. T15 carries an Excludes2 note covering H05.5: “retained (old) foreign body in penetrating wound of orbit and eye ball (H05.5-, H44.6-, H44.7-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| H05.5Retained (old) foreign body following penetrating wound of orbit | T15Foreign body on external eye | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header Report instead: T15.00XA, T15.00XD, T15.00XS, T15.01XA, T15.01XD |
| Classification | H00-H59 — Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59) | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) |
| Definition | Retained (old) foreign body following penetrating wound of orbit is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (H05.5). | Foreign body on external eye is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T15). |
| 7th character | — | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T15 |
| Includes | Retrobulbar foreign body | — |
| Use additional code | code to identify the type of retained foreign body (Z18.-) | code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice (W44.-) |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources