Question 1

What is ICD-10 code H60.552?

Accepted Answer

H60.552 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute reactive otitis externa, left ear. Sudden inflammation of the outer ear canal on the left side caused by a reaction to irritation rather than infection. H60.552 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the ear and mastoid process (h60-h95), within the section covering diseases of external ear (h60-h62).

H60.552 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.

Verify laterality is documented as left ear before assigning this code.

Question 2

Is H60.552 an HCC code?

Accepted Answer

No. H60.552 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 H60.552 billable?

Accepted Answer

Yes. H60.552 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. H60.552 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 H60.552?

Accepted Answer

H60.552 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 H60.552 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 H60.552?

Accepted Answer

Verify laterality is documented as left ear before assigning this code Distinguish from infectious otitis externa (H60.4x) which requires bacterial or fungal organisms

HCC Buddy Code Card

H60.552

Is H60.552 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open H60.552 in the Interactive Encoder

H60.552 ICD-10-CM Code: Acute reactive otitis externa, left ear

HCC Buddy Code Card

H60.552

Is H60.552 an HCC code?

What This Code Means

Coding Tips

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open H60.552 in the Interactive Encoder