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C82.01 ICD-10-CM Code: Follicular lymphoma grade I, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck

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FY 2026 Apr update / Neoplasms (C00-D49) / Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)

C82.01

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

Follicular lymphoma grade I, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck

A slow-growing type of lymphoma called follicular lymphoma grade I located in the lymph nodes of the head, face, or neck region.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Follicular lymphoma grade I involving head, face, and neck lymph nodes represents a low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma with an indolent clinical course.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 21

RAF 0.545

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 10

RAF 0.675

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

HCC 10

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

HCC 21

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official
C82Follicular lymphoma
C82.0Follicular lymphoma grade I
C82.01Follicular lymphoma grade I, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for C82.01 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for C82.01 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
C82.00Follicular lymphoma grade I, unspecified site
C82.02Follicular lymphoma grade I, intrathoracic lymph nodes
C82.03Follicular lymphoma grade I, intra-abdominal lymph nodes
C82.04Follicular lymphoma grade I, lymph nodes of axilla and upper limb
C82.05Follicular lymphoma grade I, lymph nodes of inguinal region and lower limb

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for C82.01 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for C82.01 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for C82.01 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for C82.01 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for C82.01 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology report confirming follicular lymphoma with histologic grade I (0-5 centroblasts per high-power field)
Specific lymph node sites involved (cervical, submandibular, preauricular, occipital, etc.)
Ann Arbor staging with Lugano modifications
Current treatment status (watchful waiting, immunotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy)

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Pathology report confirming follicular lymphoma with histologic grade I (0-5 centroblasts per high-power field)
Specific lymph node sites involved (cervical, submandibular, preauricular, occipital, etc.)
Ann Arbor staging with Lugano modifications
Current treatment status (watchful waiting, immunotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy)

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Assigning grade I without pathology confirmation — clinical appearance alone cannot determine histologic grade
Using this code when lymphoma is in remission instead of C82.0A
Failing to query the provider when documentation says 'low-grade follicular lymphoma' without specifying grade I vs. II
Coding as unspecified site (C82.00) when documentation clearly states cervical or submandibular lymphadenopathy

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C82.11 — Follicular lymphoma grade II of head/face/neck; grade II has 6-15 centroblasts per HPF vs. grade I with 0-5; verify pathology report grade
C85.11 — Unspecified non-Hodgkin lymphoma of head/face/neck; use only when follicular subtype is not confirmed by pathology
C82.08 — Follicular lymphoma grade I, multiple sites; use C82.01 when head/face/neck is the sole or primary site, not when multiple regions are involved
C82.0A — Follicular lymphoma grade I in remission; do not use C82.01 if provider documents complete or partial remission

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 C82.01 an HCC code?

Yes. C82.01 maps to Breast, Prostate, Colorectal and Other Cancers and Tumors under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Lymphoma and Other Cancers under V24).

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 21, Breast, Prostate, Colorectal and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.545
V24HCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.675
ESRDHCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000
RxHCCHCC 21, Hodgkin Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000

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 C82.01

For C82.01to 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 C82.01 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

C82.01 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for follicular lymphoma grade i, lymph nodes of head, face, and neck. A slow-growing type of lymphoma called follicular lymphoma grade I located in the lymph nodes of the head, face, or neck region. C82.01 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for neoplasms (c00-d49), within the section covering malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue (c81-c96).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, C82.01 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, C82.01 maps to Lymphoma and Other Cancers (HCC 10) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.675. 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.

Verify documentation specifies involvement of head, face, or neck lymph nodes. Because C82.01 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 C82.01 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Verify documentation specifies involvement of head, face, or neck lymph nodes
  • Grade I indicates the lowest histologic grade with best prognosis

Clinical Significance

Follicular lymphoma grade I involving head, face, and neck lymph nodes represents a low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma with an indolent clinical course. This site-specific code captures the anatomic distribution critical for staging (Ann Arbor) and treatment planning. Accurate capture ensures appropriate risk adjustment for ongoing oncologic surveillance and management costs.

Documentation Requirements

  • Pathology report confirming follicular lymphoma with histologic grade I (0-5 centroblasts per high-power field)
  • Specific lymph node sites involved (cervical, submandibular, preauricular, occipital, etc.)
  • Ann Arbor staging with Lugano modifications
  • Current treatment status (watchful waiting, immunotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy)
  • Documentation that disease is NOT in remission (use C82.0A if in remission)

Commonly Confused Codes

  • C82.11 — Follicular lymphoma grade II of head/face/neck; grade II has 6-15 centroblasts per HPF vs. grade I with 0-5; verify pathology report grade
  • C85.11 — Unspecified non-Hodgkin lymphoma of head/face/neck; use only when follicular subtype is not confirmed by pathology
  • C82.08 — Follicular lymphoma grade I, multiple sites; use C82.01 when head/face/neck is the sole or primary site, not when multiple regions are involved
  • C82.0A — Follicular lymphoma grade I in remission; do not use C82.01 if provider documents complete or partial remission

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

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