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H54.8

Billable

Legal blindness, as defined in USA

H54.8 is the ICD-10-CM code for Legal blindness, as defined in USA. It is a billable, specific code valid for reimbursement.

Status
Billable
Chapter
H00-H59
Parent
H54
Edition
FY2026

H00-H59 Diseases of the eye and adnexa

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What this means — in plain language

MedlinePlus · NIH

What is vision impairment? Vision impairment is the loss of vision. It includes blindness, which means that you have lost all or most of your sight. It also includes low vision, which means you have some vision, but the vision loss makes it hard to do everyday activities. You may have trouble reading, shopping, cooking, writing, and watching TV. Low vision can't be fixed with glasses, contact lenses , medicine, or…

Read more about Vision Impairment and Blindness at MedlinePlus ↗

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Informational only — not medical advice.

Includes

  • •Blindness NOS according to USA definition

Excludes1 — not coded here

  • •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.

Conditions mapped to this code

MedlinePlus · NIH
Vision Impairment and Blindness

Plain-language health-topic references grounded in MedlinePlus (NIH/NLM).

Benefits & assistance programs

Federal & state

Assistance programs whose eligibility maps to this condition's category. Informational only — eligibility is determined by the administering agency.

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code H54.8?
H54.8 is the ICD-10-CM code for "Legal blindness, as defined in USA". It falls under H00-H59 Diseases of the eye and adnexa.
Is H54.8 a billable code?
Yes — H54.8 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code valid for reimbursement.
What is excluded from H54.8?
Excludes1 (not coded here): legal blindness with specification of impairment level (H54.0-H54.7).

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM FY2026. For informational purposes only — not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.

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