T16.2XXA (Foreign body in left ear, initial encounter) compared with T16.2XXS (Foreign body in left ear, sequela), from the official CMS tabular data. T16.2XXA and T16.2XXS code the same injury at a different phase of treatment. MedCoder-derived
Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.
The 7th character records the phase of care for the encounter being coded, so a single encounter takes one of these characters, not several. Review whether both phases belong on the same episode of care.
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a
Same injury, other encounter phase. T16.2XXA and T16.2XXS code the same injury at a different phase of treatment, set by the 7th character.
The 7th character records the type of care given at the encounter being coded (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a), so one encounter takes one of these, not both.
| T16.2XXAForeign body in left ear, initial encounter | T16.2XXSForeign body in left ear, sequela | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) |
| Definition | Foreign body in left ear, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T16.2XXA). | Foreign body in left ear, sequela is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T16.2XXS). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T16 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T16 |
| Includes | foreign body in auditory canal | foreign body in auditory canal |
| Use additional code | code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice (W44.-) | 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