T15 — Foreign body on external eye
T15 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for foreign body on external eye. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below. This code also requires a 7th character before it is complete.
This code requires a 7th character
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T15
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Excludes2 — not included here, but may coexist
The excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient can have both. You may code both.
- 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-)
- superficial foreign body of eyelid and periocular area (S00.25-)
Other codes that can never be billed with T15
These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at T15. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading T15 alone.
Risk adjustment
T15 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.
Code to one of these instead T15
4 child codes. Green means billable.
Questions about T15
- Is T15 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- No. T15 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
- Where does T15 sit in the tabular list?
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Effects of foreign body entering through natural orifice (T15-T19).