Skip to content
HCC Buddy home

C74.02 ICD-10-CM Code: Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland

C74.02 maps to CMS-HCC V28 22. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC Buddy coding tools

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.

Code lookupC74.02

FY 2026 Apr update / Neoplasms (C00-D49) / Malignant neoplasms of thyroid and other endocrine glands (C73-C75)

C74.02

Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland

Cancer that starts in the outer layer (cortex) of the left adrenal gland, a small hormone-producing gland that sits on top of the kidney.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Malignant neoplasm of the cortex of the left adrenal gland is the left-sided counterpart of adrenocortical carcinoma.

OverviewRisk ModelsCode BookDocumentationAuditNotesEdition comparison

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 22

Coefficient HCC 22: 0.363 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

Context needed

HCC 009, HCC 010

Coefficient needs member context

ESRD/PACE

Context needed

HCC 10

Coefficient needs member context

RXHCC

HCC 22

Code-level coefficient reference

Code Book Path

Official
C74Malignant neoplasm of adrenal glandC74.0Malignant neoplasm of cortex of adrenal glandC74.02Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official

No Excludes 2 notes are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Related Codes

Official
C74.00Malignant neoplasm of cortex of unspecified adrenal glandC74.01Malignant neoplasm of cortex of right adrenal gland

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official

No Excludes 1 notes are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for C74.02. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology confirming adrenocortical carcinoma of the left adrenal gland
Documentation confirming left-sided involvement
Hormonal evaluation and functional status
Staging information

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology confirming adrenocortical carcinoma of the left adrenal gland
Documentation confirming left-sided involvement
Hormonal evaluation and functional status
Staging information

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Selecting right-sided code C74.01 instead of left C74.02
Confusing cortex and medulla — verify tissue of origin in pathology
Coding adrenal metastases from lung, breast, or renal cancer as primary adrenocortical carcinoma
Using unspecified part code when cortex is documented

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C74.01 — Right adrenal cortex: Laterality reversal; confirm left side
C74.12 — Left adrenal medulla: Different compartment — cortex produces steroids, medulla produces catecholamines
C74.92 — Left adrenal, unspecified part: Use C74.02 when cortex is specified
D35.02 — Benign neoplasm of left adrenal gland: Confirm malignancy before coding

Current with CMS: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr 1 update (effective Apr 1 – Sep 30, 2026) · CMS-HCC V28, 100% phased in for payment year 2026. FY2027 code set already staged for October 1, 2026. How HCC Buddy stays current →

Is C74.02 an HCC code?

Yes. C74.02 (Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland) maps to HCC 22, Bladder, Colorectal, and Other Cancers under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.363. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: C74.02 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 22, Bladder, Colorectal, and Other Cancers. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
C74.02
Description
Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland
HCC (V28)
HCC 22 — Bladder, Colorectal, and Other Cancers
RAF reference coefficient
0.363
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 22, Bladder, Colorectal, and Other Cancers
0.363
RxHCCHCC 22, Prostate, Breast, Bladder, and Other Cancers and Tumors
Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. Weights are not directly comparable across models: CMS-HCC V28 and V24 use Community, Non-Dual, Aged; ESRD uses the dialysis continuing-enrollee model; RxHCC is the Part D continuing-enrollee, non-low-income, aged weight (a larger scale than CMS-HCC). ACA/HHS has no single weight — it varies by metal level. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work C74.02 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for C74.02

For C74.02, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

  • 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

Coder workflow notes

Get the V28 mapping + MEAT cheat sheet

One printable reference: check representative V28 mappings and the documentation reminders your note needs. Free, no card.

Free PDF. No card. Unsubscribe anytime.

What This Code Means

C74.02 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland. Cancer that starts in the outer layer (cortex) of the left adrenal gland, a small hormone-producing gland that sits on top of the kidney. C74.02 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for neoplasms (c00-d49), within the section covering malignant neoplasms of thyroid and other endocrine glands (c73-c75).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, C74.02 maps to Bladder, Colorectal, and Other Cancers (HCC 22) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.363. No V24 mapping is shown for C74.02; use the applicable model and payment year when reviewing the V28 mapping. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

The fifth character '2' specifically indicates left side; ensure laterality is clearly documented to avoid miscoding as C74.01 (right) or C74.00 (unspecified). For C74.02, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule. 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, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for C74.02 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • •The fifth character '2' specifically indicates left side; ensure laterality is clearly documented to avoid miscoding as C74.01 (right) or C74.00 (unspecified)
  • •Adrenocortical carcinoma is the typical malignancy of the adrenal cortex; verify histology in pathology report

Clinical Significance

Malignant neoplasm of the cortex of the left adrenal gland is the left-sided counterpart of adrenocortical carcinoma. Left adrenal tumors may involve the left renal vein and splenic vasculature, creating distinct surgical considerations. Accurate laterality and compartment coding supports appropriate treatment planning and resource allocation.

Documentation Requirements

  • ✓Pathology confirming adrenocortical carcinoma of the left adrenal gland
  • ✓Documentation confirming left-sided involvement
  • ✓Hormonal evaluation and functional status
  • ✓Staging information
  • ✓Confirmation of cortex (not medulla) as tissue of origin

Commonly Confused Codes

  • •C74.01: Right adrenal cortex: Laterality reversal; confirm left side
  • •C74.12: Left adrenal medulla: Different compartment: cortex produces steroids, medulla produces catecholamines
  • •C74.92: Left adrenal, unspecified part: Use C74.02 when cortex is specified
  • •D35.02: Benign neoplasm of left adrenal gland: Confirm malignancy before coding
  • •C79.72: Secondary malignant neoplasm of left adrenal gland: Metastatic, not primary

Child Codes

C74.00Malignant neoplasm of cortex of unspecified adrenal gland
HCC 22
C74.01Malignant neoplasm of cortex of right adrenal gland
HCC 22
C74.02Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland
HCC 22

Code Hierarchy

└C74Malignant neoplasm of adrenal gland└C74.0Malignant neoplasm of cortex of adrenal gland└C74.02Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland
└C74.02Malignant neoplasm of cortex of left adrenal gland

Also searched as

  • C74 02
  • C7402

For C74.02, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

C74.02 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 22, Bladder, Colorectal, and Other Cancers. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for C74.02. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

Work C74.02 in HCC Buddy

Open C74.02 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 7 days to try everything, no card required.

Open in Code BookOpen in EncoderStart Pro