Q16 vs Q35

Q16 (Congenital malformations of ear causing impairment of hearing) compared with Q35 (Cleft palate), 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. Q16 carries an Excludes2 note covering Q35: “cleft lip and cleft palate (Q35-Q37)”

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

Side by side

	Q16Congenital malformations of ear causing impairment of hearing	Q35Cleft palate
Billing status	Non-billable header Report instead: Q16.0, Q16.1, Q16.2, Q16.3, Q16.4	Non-billable header Report instead: Q35.1, Q35.3, Q35.5, Q35.7, Q35.9
Classification	Q00-Q99 — Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-Q99)	Q00-Q99 — Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
Definition	Congenital malformations of ear causing impairment of hearing is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Q16).	Cleft palate is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Q35).
Includes	—	fissure of palate palatoschisis
Use additional code	—	code to identify associated malformation of the nose (Q30.2)

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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