Built around HCC coder workflows
ICD-10-CM and HCC encoder, current to CMS and ICD-10. Updated in days, not quarters.
Search a code and keep HCC mapping, RAF values, V24 and V28 model context, MEAT support, and source details in one coder-facing encoder.
J44.9 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Encoder
E11.65
Search
E11.65
Billable
V28
HCC 38
V24
HCC 18
RAF
0.166
ehr-chart · coder view
J44.9
J44.9Billable
V28HCC 280
RAF0.319
HCC Buddy Code Card
FY2026 · APR UPDATE
J44.9
Billable
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified
CMS-HCC V28
HCC 280
RAF 0.319
CMS-HCC V24
HCC 111
RAF 0.335
RxHCC
229
Rx model
Risk-adjustment coding shouldn't mean ten browser tabs.
Stop stitching the answer together across references. Buddy keeps it in one screen.
The old way
ICD-10 codebook, flipping pages
HCC crosswalk spreadsheet
Separate V24 and V28 RAF tables
MEAT guidelines PDF
NPI registry, in another tab
Drug reference, in yet another
The HCC Buddy way
One encoder. Code + HCC + RAF + MEAT + provider + drug context, in one screen.
Billable status and code path, instantly
V24 and V28 RAF side by side
Current to the active CMS model year
Encoder
Search ICD-10-CM and see HCC impact immediately.
Search a code like E11.65 and Buddy points you to billable status, V24, V28, RAF, and the full code path in one card.
E11.65 searchHCC valuesCode path
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Search
E11.65
Billable
Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia
CMS-HCC V28
HCC 38
CMS-HCC V24
HCC 18
RAF
0.166
CODE PATH
E11›E11.6›E11.65
Ask Buddy
Ask the coding question without leaving the encoder.
Buddy answers code-aware questions with HCC context, documentation focus, and the next review step.
Code-awareMEAT promptsNext step
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Does E11.65 map for V28, and what should I check?
Buddy
Maps to CMS-HCC V28 HCC 38.
Check active diabetes status and treatment.
Look for MEAT in assessment and plan.
Code Book
Browse the ICD-10-CM tabular list the way coders read it.
Walk the chapter, category, and billable-code path with HCC mapping shown inline, so you confirm the right code without leaving the page.
Tabular listCode pathInline HCC
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J44 · Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chapter
Diseases of the respiratory system (J00–J99)
J44
Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
J44.0
with (acute) lower respiratory infection
J44.1
with (acute) exacerbation
J44.9
COPD, unspecified
Billable
HCC 280
Evidence Support
Separate mapped diagnoses from supported diagnoses.
Run a deidentified evidence check and see MEAT support, gaps, and strength of support before audit risk grows.
MEATSOEGaps
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De-identified note
Assessment referenced. A1c ordered. Medication plan discussed and continued.
Check Evidence
Monitor
Pending
Assess
Pending
Treat
Pending
Support strength · documentation support · not coding advice
Your coding assistant
Meet Ask Buddy — your personal HCC coding assistant
Ask Buddy answers code-aware questions with MEAT guidance and V28 and V24 context, right in your workflow. It is built for deidentified coding questions and never stores PHI.
Code-aware answers tied to the code you are reviewing
MEAT guidance and the next documentation step
Deidentified by design — never stores, logs, or transmits PHI
Included with Pro
Ask Buddy
DEIDENTIFIED
Does J44.9 still map under V28, and what should I confirm?
Yes — J44.9 maps to CMS-HCC V28 HCC 280, RAF 0.319.
Confirm COPD is documented as current and being managed.
Look for MEAT in the assessment and plan.
Current to CMS
Current to CMS and ICD-10, built for the coder's desk.
When CMS updates the HCC model (V28/V24, RAF weights) or the annual ICD-10-CM code set changes each October, we rebuild within days and keep the source period visible on the code card.
Built from official CMS files
HCC mappings, RAF tables, and MEAT patterns are generated from the current CMS-HCC V28 source files and checked through editorial review gates before they ship.
Source context
Every code shows the CMS model period and source so you can trust the value.
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Questions? We have answers.
HCC stands for Hierarchical Condition Category. CMS uses HCC risk adjustment to estimate expected medical cost for Medicare Advantage members based on the diagnoses a provider reports during the year (CMS Risk Adjustment program: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-plans/medicareadvtgspecratestats/risk-adjustors).
V28 is the CMS-HCC model that began phasing in for payment year 2024 and reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026. Compared to V24, V28 expands from 86 to 115 payment HCCs, removes some lower-acuity diagnosis groups, and updates RAF coefficients to reflect ICD-10-CM clinical revisions. Full details are in the CMS 2024 Advance Notice (https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/medicare-advantage-rates-statistics/announcements-and-documents).
Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) is the numeric coefficient CMS publishes for each payment HCC. The sum of a member's HCC coefficients (plus demographic factors) drives the per-member-per-month payment a Medicare Advantage plan receives. HCC Buddy shows the V28 and V24 RAF coefficients beside each ICD-10 code so coders see risk-adjustment impact without leaving the code card. Source coefficients: CMS RA Model Output (https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-plans/medicareadvtgspecratestats/risk-adjustors).
Evidence Checker reviews deidentified chart wording against MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, Treat) and flags documentation gaps, conflicting language, and strength-of-evidence concerns so coders can separate diagnoses that simply have an ICD-10 mapping from diagnoses that are actually supported for risk adjustment under CMS audit standards.
The FY2026 ICD-10-CM tabular list contains roughly 74,000 codes (CMS FY2026 release: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes), of which about 7,900 map to a CMS-HCC V28 payment category. HCC Buddy shows the HCC value, model version, and source period for each billable code.
Yes. Start Pro and get 7 days to try the full workflow, no card required. Pro is $19.99/month for founding members during the founding window, then $29.99/month after it closes. The annual plan is $199.99/year.
No. HCC Buddy is built for deidentified coding questions, ICD-10-CM codes, and clinical concepts. Do not paste member identifiers, dates of birth, full chart notes, or other patient identifiers into Ask Buddy.
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Coder references
HCC coding paths coders use every day
Jump straight to the encoder, CMS-HCC V28 guide, MEAT criteria, RAF calculator, comparison pages, condition guides, and current CMS Watch updates.
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Latest risk adjustment updates
OIG
Jul 28, 2026
OIG: WPS overpaid providers $140K on 138 Part B lines that paid more than the charge billed
An OIG audit of Wisconsin Physicians Service found 138 of 801 sampled Part B outpatient claim lines that paid providers more than they billed, plus 31 lines with no supporting documentation. Medicare pays the lower of the charge you submit or the fee schedule, so a keyed charge that comes in low can turn into an overpayment the MAC recovers.
Policy
Jul 28, 2026
General-purpose AI coded complex surgery at 5% to 12.5% exact-match, a new study reports
A peer-reviewed study reports out-of-the-box LLMs scored 5% to 32.5% exact-match on multi-code operative reports, while a fine-tuned vendor tool hit 80% and external auditors 22.5%. The study was authored by the tool's maker. Here is how these coding-accuracy numbers are built, and what a coder still checks.
FCA Settlement
Jul 28, 2026
Magnolia Diagnostics will pay $24M to resolve claims its COVID tests carried unneeded respiratory panels
The Justice Department says a Dallas lab pre-selected respiratory pathogen panels and their diagnosis codes on requisition forms before anyone assessed the patient. That prepopulated-order pattern is the part that lands on a coder's desk.