C38 ICD-10-CM Code: Malignant neoplasm of heart, mediastinum and pleura

C38 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant neoplasm of heart, mediastinum and pleura. C38 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for neoplasms (c00-d49), within the section covering malignant neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (c30-c39).

Header codes like C38 cannot be reported on claims directly, they organize child codes that share clinical context but the actual diagnosis must be coded to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation. Coders should look at C38's child codes and select the one that matches the patient's documented presentation, since payers reject header codes submitted as the primary diagnosis. For risk adjustment workflows, header codes never contribute to a Medicare Advantage member's RAF score on their own; only billable child codes that happen to map to a payment HCC affect risk-adjusted plan payments.