H34.0 vs H53.12

H34.0 (Transient retinal artery occlusion) compared with H53.12 (Transient visual loss), 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. H53.12 carries an Excludes1 note covering H34.0: “transient retinal artery occlusion (H34.0-)”

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

	H34.0Transient retinal artery occlusion	H53.12Transient visual loss
Billing status	Non-billable header Report instead: H34.00, H34.01, H34.02, H34.03	Non-billable header Report instead: H53.121, H53.122, H53.123, H53.129
Classification	H00-H59 — Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59)	H00-H59 — Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa (H00-H59)
Definition	Transient retinal artery occlusion is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (H34.0).	Transient visual loss is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (H53.12).
Includes	—	Scintillating scotoma

Edit this comparison Check a whole claim

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