H31.1 vs H35.5

H31.1 (Choroidal degeneration) compared with H35.5 (Hereditary retinal dystrophy), 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. H35.5 carries an Excludes1 note covering H31.1: “dystrophies primarily involving Bruch's membrane (H31.1-)”

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

Side by side

	H31.1Choroidal degeneration	H35.5Hereditary retinal dystrophy
Billing status	Non-billable header Report instead: H31.101, H31.102, H31.103, H31.109, H31.111	Non-billable header Report instead: H35.50, H35.51, H35.52, H35.53, H35.54
Classification	H00-H59 — Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59)	H00-H59 — Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59)
Definition	Choroidal degeneration is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (H31.1).	Hereditary retinal dystrophy is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (H35.5).

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