Is Q16 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

No. Q16 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.

Where does Q16 sit in the tabular list?

Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-QA0), in the block Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck (Q10-Q18).

What cannot be coded together with Q16?

Q16 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.

Q16

Q16 — Congenital malformations of ear causing impairment of hearing

Non-billable headerICD-10-CM

Q16 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for congenital malformations of ear causing impairment of hearing. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below.

Excludes1 — never code together

These conditions cannot occur together. Billing both on the same encounter is a denial.

congenital deafness (H90.-)

Other codes that can never be billed with Q16

These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at Q16. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading Q16 alone.

Q17Other congenital malformations of ear

Risk adjustment

Q16 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.

Code to one of these instead Q16

7 child codes. Green means billable.

Questions about Q16

Is Q16 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: No. Q16 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
Where does Q16 sit in the tabular list?: Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-QA0), in the block Congenital malformations of eye, ear, face and neck (Q10-Q18).
What cannot be coded together with Q16?: Q16 carries an Excludes1 note, which means the conditions it lists can never be coded together with it on the same encounter.