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C75.5 ICD-10-CM Code: Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia

C75.5 maps to CMS-HCC V28 23. 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 lookupC75.5

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

C75.5

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

Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia

A malignant (cancerous) tumor of the aortic body or other paraganglia, which are small neuroendocrine tissues scattered throughout the body near major blood vessels.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Malignant neoplasm of the aortic body and other paraganglia captures malignant paragangliomas arising from extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue, including the aortic body (organ of Zuckerkandl) and other sympathetic/parasympathetic paraganglia throughout the body.

OverviewRisk ModelsCode BookDocumentationAuditNotesEdition comparison

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 23

Coefficient HCC 23: 0.186 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 013

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 12

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

HCC 22

Code-level coefficient reference

Code Book Path

Official
C75Malignant neoplasm of other endocrine glands and related structuresC75.5Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for C75.5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official

No Excludes 2 notes are included in this display for C75.5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Related Codes

Official
C75.0Malignant neoplasm of parathyroid glandC75.1Malignant neoplasm of pituitary glandC75.2Malignant neoplasm of craniopharyngeal ductC75.3Malignant neoplasm of pineal glandC75.4Malignant neoplasm of carotid body

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for C75.5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official
  • malignant carcinoid tumors (C7A.0-)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of adrenal gland (C74.-)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of endocrine pancreas (C25.4)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of islets of Langerhans (C25.4)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of ovary (C56.-)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of testis (C62.-)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of thymus (C37)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neoplasm of thyroid gland (C73)Inherited from C75
  • malignant neuroendocrine tumors (C7A.-)Inherited from C75

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for C75.5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for C75.5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for C75.5. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology confirming malignancy with evidence of metastatic disease
Specific identification of the paraganglionic site when possible
Catecholamine and metanephrine levels if functional tumor suspected
Genetic testing documentation for SDH mutations when applicable

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology confirming malignancy with evidence of metastatic disease
Specific identification of the paraganglionic site when possible
Catecholamine and metanephrine levels if functional tumor suspected
Genetic testing documentation for SDH mutations when applicable

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Coding benign paraganglioma as malignant without metastatic disease documentation
Using this code for adrenal pheochromocytoma — adrenal medullary tumors have their own code series (C74.1x)
Not separately coding functional manifestations (hypertension, catecholamine excess)
Using C75.5 for carotid body tumors which have their own specific code C75.4

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C75.4 — Malignant neoplasm of carotid body: Specific code for carotid body; use C75.5 for other paraganglia
C74.10-C74.12 — Adrenal medulla malignancy: Adrenal paraganglioma (pheochromocytoma) has its own code series
D35.6 — Benign neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia: Benign paragangliomas are more common
D44.7 — Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of aortic body and other paraganglia: Use when malignancy is not confirmed

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 C75.5 an HCC code?

Yes. C75.5 (Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia) maps to HCC 23, Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.186. 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: C75.5 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 23, Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
C75.5
Description
Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia
HCC (V28)
HCC 23 — Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors
RAF reference coefficient
0.186
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 23, Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.186
ESRDHCC 12, Breast/Prostate/and Other Cancers and Tumors
Not separately weighted
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 C75.5 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for C75.5

For C75.5, 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

C75.5 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia. A malignant (cancerous) tumor of the aortic body or other paraganglia, which are small neuroendocrine tissues scattered throughout the body near major blood vessels. C75.5 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, C75.5 maps to Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors (HCC 23) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.186. No V24 mapping is shown for C75.5; 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.

Paragangliomas can occur in multiple locations; this code is used when the primary site is aortic body or unspecified paraganglia. For C75.5, 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 C75.5 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • •Paragangliomas can occur in multiple locations; this code is used when the primary site is aortic body or unspecified paraganglia
  • •Review pathology to confirm malignancy and document specific anatomical location when possible

Clinical Significance

Malignant neoplasm of the aortic body and other paraganglia captures malignant paragangliomas arising from extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue, including the aortic body (organ of Zuckerkandl) and other sympathetic/parasympathetic paraganglia throughout the body. These tumors may be functional (catecholamine-secreting) and are often associated with hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma syndromes.

Documentation Requirements

  • ✓Pathology confirming malignancy with evidence of metastatic disease
  • ✓Specific identification of the paraganglionic site when possible
  • ✓Catecholamine and metanephrine levels if functional tumor suspected
  • ✓Genetic testing documentation for SDH mutations when applicable
  • ✓Staging information and metastatic disease evaluation

Commonly Confused Codes

  • •C75.4: Malignant neoplasm of carotid body: Specific code for carotid body; use C75.5 for other paraganglia
  • •C74.10-C74.12: Adrenal medulla malignancy: Adrenal paraganglioma (pheochromocytoma) has its own code series
  • •D35.6: Benign neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia: Benign paragangliomas are more common
  • •D44.7: Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of aortic body and other paraganglia: Use when malignancy is not confirmed

Child Codes

C75.0Malignant neoplasm of parathyroid gland
HCC 23
C75.1Malignant neoplasm of pituitary gland
HCC 20
C75.2Malignant neoplasm of craniopharyngeal duct
HCC 20
C75.3Malignant neoplasm of pineal gland
HCC 20
C75.4Malignant neoplasm of carotid body
HCC 23
C75.5Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia
HCC 23
C75.8Malignant neoplasm with pluriglandular involvement, unspecified
HCC 23
C75.9Malignant neoplasm of endocrine gland, unspecified
HCC 23

Code Hierarchy

└C75Malignant neoplasm of other endocrine glands and related structures└C75.5Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia
└C75.5Malignant neoplasm of aortic body and other paraganglia

Also searched as

  • C75 5
  • C755

For C75.5, 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.

C75.5 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 23, Prostate, Breast, and Other Cancers and Tumors. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for C75.5. 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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