H54.8
Legal blindness, as defined in USA
Billable FY2026 2025-10-01 → 2026-09-30
Exclusions 13 never code together
H54.8code
Excludes1
- legal blindness with specification of impairment level (H54.0-H54.7)H54.0-H54.7H54.0-H54.7
H00-H59chapter
Excludes2
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)P04-P96
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)A00-B99
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)O00-O9A
- congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Q00-Q99
- diabetes mellitus related eye conditions (E09.3-, E10.3-, E11.3-, E13.3-)E09.3-E10.3-E11.3-E13.3-
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)E00-E88
- injury (trauma) of eye and orbit (S05.-)S05.-
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)S00-T88
- neoplasms (C00-D49)C00-D49
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)R00-R94
- syphilis related eye disorders (A50.01, A50.3-, A51.43, A52.71)A50.01A50.3-A51.43A52.71
Excludes1 — never code together. The excluded condition and this one are mutually exclusive.
Excludes2 — not included here, but the patient may have both. Code both when documented.
Instructional notes 7
H54code
Notes
- For definition of visual impairment categories see table below
Code first
- any associated underlying cause of the blindness
H54.8code
Notes
- The table below gives a classification of severity of visual impairment recommended by a WHO Study Group on the Prevention of Blindness, Geneva, 6-10 November 1972.
- The term 'low vision' in category H54 comprises categories 1 and 2 of the table, the term 'blindness' categories 3, 4 and 5, and the term 'unqualified visual loss' category 9.H54H54
- If the extent of the visual field is taken into account, patients with a field no greater than 10 but greater than 5 around central fixation should be placed in category 3 and patients with a field no greater than 5 around central fixation should be placed in category 4, even if the central acuity is not impaired.
Inclusion terms
- Blindness NOS according to USA definition
H00-H59chapter
Notes
- Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause of the eye condition
Index entries leading here 1
Alongside this code 8 same parent — H54
H54.0 Blindness, both eyes category H54.1 Blindness, one eye, low vision other eye category H54.2 Low vision, both eyes category H54.3 Unqualified visual loss, both eyes H54.4 Blindness, one eye category H54.5 Low vision, one eye category H54.6 Unqualified visual loss, one eye category H54.7 Unspecified visual loss
Additional references
AHA Coding Clinic® Licence required
Official coding advice for this code. Published by the American Hospital Association. Not included in this installation.