C02.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Malignant neoplasm of ventral surface of tongue
HCC Buddy Code Card
Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.
FY 2026 Apr update / Neoplasms (C00-D49) / Malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00-C14)
C02.2
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidanceMalignant neoplasm of ventral surface of tongue
Cancer of the underside of the tongue, the surface that faces the floor of the mouth.
Buddy Insight
Malignant neoplasm of the ventral surface of the tongue affects the underside facing the floor of mouth.
CMS-HCC V28
MappedHCC 21
RAF 0.545
CMS-HCC V24
MappedHCC 11
RAF 0.306
ACA/HHS
00
RAF 0
ESRD/PACE
MappedHCC 11
RAF 0.0
RXHCC
MappedHCC 22
RAF 0.0
Code Trumping
Basket needed
Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
Official- Malignant neoplasm of anterior two-thirds of tongue, ventral surface
- Malignant neoplasm of frenulum linguae
Excludes 2
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for C02.2 in this effective period.
Related Child Codes
Includes
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for C02.2 in this effective period.
Excludes 1
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for C02.2 in this effective period.
Code First
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for C02.2 in this effective period.
Use Additional
Official- code to identify:
- alcohol abuse and dependence (F10.-)
- history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
- tobacco dependence (F17.-)
- tobacco use (Z72.0)
Code Also
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for C02.2 in this effective period.
Buddy Documentation Tip
MEAT Support
Audit Caution
Common Mistakes
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.
Is C02.2 an HCC code?
Yes. C02.2 maps to Breast, Prostate, Colorectal and Other Cancers and Tumors under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers under V24).
HCC Category Mapping
RAF weights shown are the community, non-dual, aged base weights from the CMS risk adjustment model file. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member segment, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains in use during the transition and for historical data.
MEAT Criteria for C02.2
For C02.2to count as a valid HCC diagnosis in a given encounter, the provider's documentation must show MEAT: Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat. A diagnosis from a prior year does not carry forward automatically, it has to be re-documented and supported each calendar year.
- MMonitor: signs, symptoms, disease progression, or lab trending documented in the note
- EEvaluate: test results, medication response, or physical findings reviewed by the provider
- AAssess: explicit mention in the assessment or plan with acknowledgment of status
- TTreat: medication, referral, procedure, therapy, or counseling tied to the diagnosis
Only one of M/E/A/T is required to support the code, but the documentation must be specific enough to show that the provider actually addressed C02.2 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
C02.2 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant neoplasm of ventral surface of tongue. Cancer of the underside of the tongue, the surface that faces the floor of the mouth. C02.2 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for neoplasms (c00-d49), within the section covering malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx (c00-c14).
Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, C02.2 maps to Breast, Prostate, Colorectal and Other Cancers and Tumors (HCC 21) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.545. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, C02.2 maps to Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers (HCC 11) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.306. V28 is the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model that reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition.
Ventral surface is the bottom/underside of the tongue; confirm this location in provider documentation. Because C02.2 maps to a payment HCC, the provider's documentation must satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's Medicare Advantage risk adjustment score. When documentation is ambiguous, coders should issue a provider query rather than assume the highest-specificity variant.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for C02.2 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Ventral surface is the bottom/underside of the tongue; confirm this location in provider documentation
- •This is distinct from the dorsal (top) surface coded as C02.0
Clinical Significance
Malignant neoplasm of the ventral surface of the tongue affects the underside facing the floor of mouth. This location has a thinner mucosal lining and close proximity to major blood vessels and sublingual glands, facilitating early deep invasion and potential spread. Ventral surface cancers may also involve the floor of mouth, creating coding complexity regarding the primary site.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming malignancy with histologic type
- ✓Documentation clearly specifying ventral (undersurface) of tongue as primary site
- ✓Distinction from floor of mouth involvement documented
- ✓Depth of invasion and tumor size documented
- ✓Staging (TNM oral cavity staging system)
- ✓Active disease status confirmed
Commonly Confused Codes
- •C02.0 (Malignant neoplasm of dorsal surface) - dorsal is top surface; ventral is bottom surface
- •C04.0 (Malignant neoplasm of anterior floor of mouth) - if tumor extends to floor of mouth, determine primary site of origin
- •C02.1 (Malignant neoplasm of border of tongue) - lateral edge, not undersurface
- •C02.8 (Overlapping sites of tongue) - use if tumor spans ventral surface and another tongue subsite