Skip to content
Dx

ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code

H91.22Sudden idiopathic hearing loss, left ear

✓ Billable / specific

H91.22 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for sudden idiopathic hearing loss, left ear. It can be reported on claims for dates of service from October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027.

Code unchanged since ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. Source: official FY2027 ICD-10-CM release from CDC/NCHS and CMS. Page updated September 29, 2026. About our data

About H91.22

H91.22 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for sudden idiopathic hearing loss, left ear. It belongs to category H91 (other and unspecified hearing loss), block H90-H94 (other disorders of ear) and chapter 8 (diseases of the ear and mastoid process). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within H91.2 (sudden idiopathic hearing loss), H91.22 is specifically for sudden idiopathic hearing loss, left ear. Related codes cover unspecified ear (H91.20), right ear (H91.21) and bilateral (H91.23).

It is not a CC or MCC, so as a secondary diagnosis it doesn't change the MS-DRG severity level.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 154 (Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with MCC, relative weight 1.5921), DRG 155 (Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with CC, relative weight 0.9322) and DRG 156 (Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses without CC/MCC, relative weight 0.6659), in MDC 03 (Diseases and Disorders of the Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 388.2 (sudden hearing loss, unspecified).

Notes that apply from higher levels

Instructions written at a parent level also apply to H91.22.

› From H91 Other and unspecified hearing loss
Excludes1
  • abnormal auditory perception (H93.2-)
  • hearing loss as classified in H90.-
  • impacted cerumen (H61.2-)
  • noise-induced hearing loss (H83.3-)
  • psychogenic deafness (F44.6)
  • transient ischemic deafness (H93.01-)

Broader instructions also apply from Chapter 8: Diseases of the ear and mastoid process.

MS-DRG v44.0 grouping

All DRGs →

Inpatient MS-DRGs this diagnosis can group to, as the principal or a secondary diagnosis, depending on the rest of the claim.

ICD-9-CM equivalent

Converter →
  • 388.2Sudden hearing loss, unspecifiedapproximate

From the CMS 2018 General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs), the final GEMs release.

Code history

  1. 2016
  2. 2017
  3. 2018
  4. 2019
  5. 2020
  6. 2021
  7. 2022
  8. 2023
  9. 2024
  10. 2025
  11. 2026
  12. 2027
  • FY2016 (effective 10/1/2015): Added (first year of ICD-10-CM)
  • No changes since FY2016.

Common questions about H91.22

Is H91.22 billable?

Yes. H91.22 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code valid for FY2027 (October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027).

Can H91.22 be used as a principal diagnosis?

Yes. The Medicare Code Editor doesn't restrict H91.22 as a principal diagnosis.

Is H91.22 a CC or MCC?

No. H91.22 is neither a CC nor an MCC under MS-DRG v44.0.

What DRG does H91.22 group to?

H91.22 is used in the MS-DRG v44.0 logic for MS-DRG 154 (Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with MCC), MS-DRG 155 (Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with CC) and MS-DRG 156 (Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses without CC/MCC). Which one applies depends on whether it is the principal diagnosis and on the rest of the claim.

What is the ICD-9 code for H91.22?

The CMS General Equivalence Mappings map H91.22 to ICD-9-CM 388.2.