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T15.9 ICD-10-CM Code: Foreign body on external eye, part unspecified

Compare with another codeCheck this code on a claim

Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

7th character
Required — see the character table on this page
Tabular directives
9 Excludes2 · 1 use-additional code

Not billable · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too; the Instructions section marks which is which.

Use additional codeReport with this code when documented
  • code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice (W44.-)
Excludes2Not included here; may be reported together
  • foreign body in penetrating wound of orbit and eye ball (S05.4-, S05.5-)
  • open wound of eyelid and periocular area (S01.1-)
  • retained foreign body in eyelid (H02.8-)
  • retained (old) foreign body in penetrating wound of orbit and eye ball (H05.5-, H44.6-, H44.7-)

+5 more in Instructions

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for T15.9 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on T15.9 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Use Additional Code

Supplementary codes the tabular list directs you to add.

  • Use additional code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice (W44.-)

Source: inherited from T15-T19

7th Character Guide

"The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T15"

  • A — initial encounter
  • D — subsequent encounter
  • S — sequela

How the encounter character is assigned. “Initial encounter” means the patient is receiving active treatment for the condition — it is not limited to the first visit, and a different or new provider giving active treatment still assigns it. “Subsequent encounter” covers care during the healing or recovery phase after active treatment. “Sequela” is for complications or conditions that arise as a direct result of the original condition.

ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, Section I.C.19.a (paraphrased by MedCoder).

Variant codes in this family

T15.90XA, T15.90XD, T15.90XS, T15.91XA, T15.91XD, T15.91XS, T15.92XA, T15.92XD

Character meanings are CMS's official 7th-character extensions for this family, as carried in each variant code's official description; variant codes are registry rows. The explanation of how the encounter character is assigned is MedCoder editorial, distinct from the official content above it.

Coder workflow for T15.9

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code T15.9

  1. T15.9 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

    ReviewT15.90, T15.91, T15.92

    See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

  2. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, T15.9 may be the appropriate code. Check the record for detail that supports a more specific sibling. An unspecified code is for records that do not provide the detail a more specific code needs; a query, not an assumption, is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

    ReviewT15.1, T15.8

    See the relationships section · Guide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS) →

  3. A 7th character is required in this family. Confirm the documented encounter: initial (active treatment), subsequent (healing or recovery phase), or sequela. T15.9 is not valid without one. “Initial” means active treatment, not the first visit (Guidelines I.C.19.a).

    See the 7th Character Guide · Guide: 7th characters: initial, subsequent, sequela →

  4. Confirm the injury type, the anatomical site at the most specific level documented, laterality where the family codes it, and the encounter for the 7th character. Each injury is coded separately unless the classification provides a combination code, and a superficial injury is not coded when a more severe injury of the same site is documented. Injury chapter guidelines (Guidelines I.C.19.b, I.C.19.b.1).

    Guide: 7th characters: initial, subsequent, sequela →

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath T15.9?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → T15.9 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

    ReviewT15.90, T15.91, T15.92

  2. Does the record document the detail a more specific sibling code needs?
    Yes → Review the specific siblings in this subcategory.
    No → Continue — T15.9 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.

    ReviewT15.1, T15.8

  3. Is the encounter phase documented — active treatment, healing or recovery, or a sequela?
    Yes → Assign the matching 7th character; the variant codes are in the 7th Character Guide.
    No → The code is invalid without its 7th character — query for the missing element.

Consider T15.9. Then work the Use Additional Code note, and confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
Anatomical site
At the most specific level the record states; a site the classification separates cannot be assumed from a procedure or a measurement.
Encounter type
Active treatment, healing or recovery phase, or sequela — the basis of the 7th character (Guidelines I.C.19.a).
The conditions the Use Additional Code note names
Reported with this code when documented; a conditional instruction (“if applicable”, “if known”) applies only when the record supports it.
External cause, place and activity
For the external cause codes reported with the injury or poisoning, where documented (Guidelines I.C.20.a).
Any detail beyond this code’s title
What the record states that a more specific sibling code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes2 — not part of T15.9(9 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in T15.9. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareS05.4, S05.5, S01.1, H02.8, H05.5, H44.6

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

  • Use Additional Code — after identifying T15.9(1 note)

    Coding workflow: Check whether the documentation supports the additional code(s) the note names, and report them with T15.9 when it does. Where the instruction is conditional (“if applicable”, “if known”), it applies only when the record documents the condition.

    ReviewW44

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.13

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: The provider documents the condition in the terms of this code’s title and records no further detail.

Coding question: Is a more specific sibling code supportable?

Path: Review the specific siblings in this subcategory and what each requires the record to state.

Reason: A more specific code needs documentation of the distinguishing element; without it the unspecified code is appropriate, and a provider query is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

ReviewT15.1, T15.8

Documentation: The patient returns during the healing or recovery phase after active treatment of the same condition.

Coding question: Which 7th character applies?

Path: Review the official 7th-character definitions for this family in the 7th Character Guide.

Reason: “Initial encounter” means active treatment, not the first visit; care during recovery takes “subsequent encounter”, and a complication arising from the original condition takes “sequela” (Guidelines I.C.19.a).

Documentation: A condition the Use Additional Code note names is documented.

Coding question: Is a second code reported with T15.9?

Path: Review the Use Additional Code note and the code it names.

Reason: The additional code is reported when the record documents the condition; a conditional instruction applies only when its condition is met (Guidelines I.A.13).

ReviewW44

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Don’t confuse T15.9 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of T15.9 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

  • T15.90XA— Encounter relationship (Review)

    Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

    The same diagnosis at a different phase of care; one encounter takes one 7th character.

    What moves you there: Documentation of a initial encounter moves the case to T15.90XA.

    Full comparison: T15.9 vs T15.90XA →

  • T15.90XD— Encounter relationship (Review)

    Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

    The same diagnosis at a different phase of care; one encounter takes one 7th character.

    What moves you there: Documentation of a subsequent encounter moves the case to T15.90XD.

    Full comparison: T15.9 vs T15.90XD →

  • S05.4— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of foreign body in penetrating wound of orbit and eye ball adds S05.4; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: T15.9 vs S05.4 →

  • S05.5— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of foreign body in penetrating wound of orbit and eye ball adds S05.5; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: T15.9 vs S05.5 →

  • S01.1— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of open wound of eyelid and periocular area adds S01.1; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: T15.9 vs S01.1 →

  • H02.8— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of retained foreign body in eyelid adds H02.8; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: T15.9 vs H02.8 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Foreign body on external eye, part unspecified is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T15.9). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Decision Points

The directives on this code's own record, as a pre-claim checklist.

  1. A 7th character applies in this family. Confirm the documented encounter matches the character assigned. See the official 7th-character definitions and this code’s variants
  2. 1 Use Additional Code instruction — report the named additional code(s) when the documentation supports them. See the Use Additional Code notes
  3. 9 Excludes2 entries — those conditions are not part of this code and may be reported additionally when documented. See the Excludes2 notes

Checklist rows are derived from this code's own official directives; the wording of each check is MedCoder editorial. The official notes themselves are in the sections each row links to.

Verify Before Coding

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name T15.9 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 1 Excludes1 note: Z18 — Retained foreign body fragments (via T15.-).

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 11 Excludes2 notes: S00 — Superficial injury of head (via T15.-), S00-S09 — Injuries to the head (S00-S09) (via T15.-), S01 — Open wound of head (via T15.-), S02 — Fracture of skull and facial bones (via T15.-), S03 — Dislocation and sprain of joints and ligaments of head (via T15.-), S04 — Injury of cranial nerve (via T15.-), S05 — Injury of eye and orbit (via T15.-), S06 — Intracranial injury (via T15.-), S07 — Crushing injury of head (via T15.-), S08 — Avulsion and traumatic amputation of part of head (via T15.-), S09 — Other and unspecified injuries of head (via T15.-).

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

Related Codes

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main term “Foreign body”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

S60.55 — Superficial foreign body of hand (superficial, without open wound, hand), S60.85 — Superficial foreign body of wrist (superficial, without open wound, wrist), S70.25 — Superficial foreign body of hip (superficial, without open wound, hip), S70.35 — Superficial foreign body of thigh (superficial, without open wound, thigh), S80.25 — Superficial foreign body of knee (superficial, without open wound, knee), S80.85 — Superficial foreign body of lower leg (superficial, without open wound, leg), S90.45 — Superficial foreign body of toe (superficial, without open wound, toe, great), S90.456 — Superficial foreign body, unspecified lesser toe(s) (superficial, without open wound, toe), S90.55 — Superficial foreign body of ankle (superficial, without open wound, ankle), S90.85 — Superficial foreign body of foot (superficial, without open wound, foot), T17.0 — Foreign body in nasal sinus (respiratory tract, nasal sinus), T17.1 — Foreign body in nostril (respiratory tract, nose), T17.200 — Unspecified foreign body in pharynx causing asphyxiation (pharynx, causing, asphyxiation), T17.208 — Unspecified foreign body in pharynx causing other injury (pharynx), T17.210 — Gastric contents in pharynx causing asphyxiation (pharynx, causing, asphyxiation, gastric contents), T17.218 — Gastric contents in pharynx causing other injury (pharynx, causing, injury NEC, gastric contents), T17.220 — Food in pharynx causing asphyxiation (pharynx, causing, asphyxiation, food), T17.228 — Food in pharynx causing other injury (pharynx, causing, injury NEC, food), T17.290 — Other foreign object in pharynx causing asphyxiation (pharynx, causing, asphyxiation, specified type NEC), T17.298 — Other foreign object in pharynx causing other injury (pharynx, causing, injury NEC, specified type NEC), +176 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of T15.9 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run T15.9 with these 9 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Excludes2 notes (11)

Nearest codes (40)

Change history

  • FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can T15.9 be billed directly?

No. T15.9 (Foreign body on external eye, part unspecified) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Does T15.9 require a 7th character?

Yes. The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T15.

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder-derived relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder editorial explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 20, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "T15.9 — Foreign body on external eye, part unspecified." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/t15.9-foreign-body-on-external-eye-part-unspecified

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Foreign body on external eye, part unspecified

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to T15.9 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the T15 family