Question 1

What is ICD-10 code H26.001?

Accepted Answer

H26.001 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified infantile and juvenile cataract, right eye. A cataract present at birth or developing in infancy or early childhood in the right eye, where the specific type is not specified. H26.001 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the eye and adnexa (h00-h59), within the section covering disorders of lens (h25-h28).

H26.001 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to a payment HCC under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions but it does not contribute to a beneficiary's RAF score and therefore does not affect risk-adjusted payments to the plan.

Infantile and juvenile cataracts differ from age-related cataracts; ensure correct age category is documented.

Question 2

Is H26.001 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. H26.001 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any payment HCC category under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can still be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions, but it does not contribute to the beneficiary's Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) score and therefore does not affect the risk-adjusted capitation payment to the plan. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026.

Question 3

Is H26.001 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. H26.001 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. H26.001 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Question 4

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for H26.001?

Accepted Answer

H26.001 does not map to a payment HCC under either the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model or the older V24 model. V28 reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition. Because neither model rewards H26.001 with a risk adjustment factor, it contributes zero to a Medicare Advantage beneficiary's RAF score in either version. Coders should check whether provider documentation supports a more specific child code that does map to a payment HCC.

Question 5

What should coders know when reporting H26.001?

Accepted Answer

Infantile and juvenile cataracts differ from age-related cataracts; ensure correct age category is documented This code is specific to the right eye; use H26.002 for left eye or H26.003 for bilateral

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H26.001

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H26.001 ICD-10-CM Code: Unspecified infantile and juvenile cataract, right eye

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H26.001

Is H26.001 an HCC code?

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