Skip to content

H16.26 ICD-10-CM Code: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59) / Disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body (H15-H22)

H16.26

Header CodeICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement

CMS-HCC V28

0

0

RAF 0

CMS-HCC V24

0

0

RAF 0

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

0

0

RAF 0

RXHCC

0

0

RAF 0

Code Trumping

Basket needed

Code Book Path

Official
H16Keratitis
H16.2Keratoconjunctivitis
H16.26Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for H16.26 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for H16.26 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
H16.261Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, right eye
H16.262Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, left eye
H16.263Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, bilateral
H16.269Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement, unspecified eye

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for H16.26 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official
  • vernal conjunctivitis without limbar and corneal involvement (H10.44)

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for H16.26 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for H16.26 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for H16.26 in this effective period.

Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.

Coder workflow notes

Get the V28 RAF + MEAT cheat sheet

One printable page: confirm a code's V28 HCC status, its RAF weight, and the MEAT your note needs to make it stick. Free, no card.

Free PDF. No card. Unsubscribe anytime.

What This Code Means

H16.26 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for vernal keratoconjunctivitis, with limbar and corneal involvement. H16.26 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the eye and adnexa (h00-h59), within the section covering disorders of sclera, cornea, iris and ciliary body (h15-h22).

Header codes like H16.26 cannot be reported on claims directly, they organize child codes that share clinical context but the actual diagnosis must be coded to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation. Coders should look at H16.26's child codes and select the one that matches the patient's documented presentation, since payers reject header codes submitted as the primary diagnosis. For risk adjustment workflows, header codes never contribute to a Medicare Advantage member's RAF score on their own; only billable child codes that happen to map to a payment HCC affect risk-adjusted plan payments.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for H16.26 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Excludes 1, Do NOT code together

  • vernal conjunctivitis without limbar and corneal involvement (H10.44)

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Work H16.26 in HCC Buddy

Open H16.26 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 14 days to try everything.