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C74.12 ICD-10-CM Code: Malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland

C74.12 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 coding software

ICD-10-CM Code View

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Code lookupC74.12

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

C74.12

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

Malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland

Cancer that starts in the inner portion (medulla) of the left adrenal gland, which produces stress hormones like adrenaline.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Malignant neoplasm of the medulla of the left adrenal gland represents malignant pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma on the left side.

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 glandC74.1Malignant neoplasm of medulla of adrenal glandC74.12Malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official

No Excludes 2 notes are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Related Codes

Official
C74.10Malignant neoplasm of medulla of unspecified adrenal glandC74.11Malignant neoplasm of medulla of right adrenal gland

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official

No Excludes 1 notes are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for C74.12. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology confirming malignancy with metastatic disease evidence
Documentation confirming left-sided medullary involvement
Catecholamine and metanephrine laboratory values
Hemodynamic monitoring and blood pressure management documentation

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology confirming malignancy with metastatic disease evidence
Documentation confirming left-sided medullary involvement
Catecholamine and metanephrine laboratory values
Hemodynamic monitoring and blood pressure management documentation

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Coding a benign pheochromocytoma as malignant without evidence of metastatic spread
Transposing left and right laterality
Confusing medullary and cortical compartments
Not recognizing that pheochromocytoma malignancy is determined by metastasis, not histological features

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C74.11 — Right adrenal medulla: Laterality reversal; confirm left side
C74.02 — Left adrenal cortex: Different compartment — medulla, not cortex
C74.92 — Left adrenal, unspecified part: Use C74.12 when medulla is documented
D35.02 — Benign neoplasm of left adrenal gland: Verify malignancy criteria are met

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 C74.12 an HCC code?

Yes. C74.12 (Malignant neoplasm of medulla 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: C74.12 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
C74.12
Description
Malignant neoplasm of medulla 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 C74.12 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for C74.12

For C74.12, 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

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What This Code Means

C74.12 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland. Cancer that starts in the inner portion (medulla) of the left adrenal gland, which produces stress hormones like adrenaline. C74.12 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, C74.12 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 C74.12; 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' indicates left side; ensure laterality is explicitly documented to differentiate from right (C74.11) or unspecified (C74.10). For C74.12, 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 C74.12 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • •The fifth character '2' indicates left side; ensure laterality is explicitly documented to differentiate from right (C74.11) or unspecified (C74.10)
  • •Pheochromocytoma is the most common malignancy of the adrenal medulla; verify diagnosis and staging information in clinical documentation

Clinical Significance

Malignant neoplasm of the medulla of the left adrenal gland represents malignant pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma on the left side. Left adrenalectomy carries different vascular considerations than right-sided surgery. This fully specified code demonstrates optimal coding specificity with both laterality and compartment documented.

Documentation Requirements

  • ✓Pathology confirming malignancy with metastatic disease evidence
  • ✓Documentation confirming left-sided medullary involvement
  • ✓Catecholamine and metanephrine laboratory values
  • ✓Hemodynamic monitoring and blood pressure management documentation
  • ✓Staging and extent of metastatic disease

Commonly Confused Codes

  • •C74.11: Right adrenal medulla: Laterality reversal; confirm left side
  • •C74.02: Left adrenal cortex: Different compartment: medulla, not cortex
  • •C74.92: Left adrenal, unspecified part: Use C74.12 when medulla is documented
  • •D35.02: Benign neoplasm of left adrenal gland: Verify malignancy criteria are met

Child Codes

C74.10Malignant neoplasm of medulla of unspecified adrenal gland
HCC 22
C74.11Malignant neoplasm of medulla of right adrenal gland
HCC 22
C74.12Malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland
HCC 22

Code Hierarchy

└C74Malignant neoplasm of adrenal gland└C74.1Malignant neoplasm of medulla of adrenal gland└C74.12Malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland
└C74.12Malignant neoplasm of medulla of left adrenal gland

Also searched as

  • C74 12
  • C7412

For C74.12, 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.

C74.12 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 C74.12. 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.

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