H54.8 Legal blindness, as defined in USA

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026.

Applicable to

• Blindness NOS according to USA definition

Excludes1 (never code together)

• legal blindness with specification of impairment level (H54.0-H54.7)

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.
• 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.

Applies from H54 Blindness and low vision

Excludes1 (never code together)

• amaurosis fugax (G45.3)

Code first

• any associated underlying cause of the blindness

Notes

• For definition of visual impairment categories see table below

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 124-125 in MDC 02.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 369.4 Legal blindness, as defined in U.S.A.

Code annotations containing back-references to H54.8

Back-references to H54

• Use Additional: S04.0 Injury of optic nerve and pathways ("code to identify any visual field defect or blindness (H53.4-, H54.-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for H54.8

• Blindness (acquired) (congenital) (both eyes) › legal (both eyes) (USA definition)

Nearby codes

• H54.6 Unqualified visual loss, one eye
• H54.60 Unqualified visual loss, one eye, unspecified
• H54.61 Unqualified visual loss, right eye, normal vision left eye
• H54.62 Unqualified visual loss, left eye, normal vision right eye
• H54.7 Unspecified visual loss
• H54.8 Legal blindness, as defined in USA (this code)