C83.50
BillableLymphoblastic (diffuse) lymphoma, unspecified site
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is C83.50 an HCC code?
Yes. C83.50 maps to Lung and Other Severe Cancers under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Lymphoma and Other Cancers under V24).
HCC Category Mapping
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 C83.50
For C83.50 to 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 C83.50 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
C83.50 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for lymphoblastic (diffuse) lymphoma, unspecified site. A type of blood cancer affecting immature lymphoid cells (lymphoblasts) that is diffuse in nature, but the specific location of the cancer is not specified. C83.50 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, C83.50 maps to Lung and Other Severe Cancers (HCC 20) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.000. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, C83.50 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.
Use this code only when the site of lymphoblastic lymphoma is unknown or not documented. Because C83.50 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 C83.50 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
Clinical Significance
Lymphoblastic lymphoma is a highly aggressive lymphoma of immature lymphoid precursor cells (lymphoblasts), closely related to acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It typically affects younger patients and requires intensive chemotherapy protocols similar to acute leukemia. The unspecified site code should be used only when documentation fails to identify the involved anatomical region.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirmation with immunohistochemistry (TdT+, CD99+)
- ✓Determination of T-cell vs. B-cell lineage (CD3 vs. CD19/CD20)
- ✓Flow cytometry results from involved tissue or peripheral blood
- ✓Bone marrow biopsy to distinguish lymphoma from leukemia (>25% blasts = leukemia)
- ✓CNS evaluation including CSF cytology