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C85.99 ICD-10-CM Code: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, extranodal and solid organ sites

C85.99 maps to CMS-HCC V28 21. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC Buddy coding tools

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Code lookupC85.99

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

C85.99

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

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, extranodal and solid organ sites

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of unspecified type affecting organs or tissues outside the lymph node system.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of unspecified type affecting extranodal and solid organ sites represents lymphoma arising in or primarily involving organs outside the lymph node system, such as the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, liver, bone, or skin.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 21

Coefficient HCC 21: 0.671 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 010

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 10

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

HCC 21

Code-level coefficient reference

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Lymphoma NOSInherited from C85.9
  • Malignant lymphoma NOSInherited from C85.9
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma NOSInherited from C85.9

Excludes 2

Official
  • Kaposi's sarcoma of lymph nodes (C46.3)Inherited from C81-C96
  • secondary and unspecified neoplasm of lymph nodes (C77.-)Inherited from C81-C96
  • secondary neoplasm of bone marrow (C79.52)Inherited from C81-C96
  • secondary neoplasm of spleen (C78.89)Inherited from C81-C96

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for C85.99. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official
  • other specified types of T/NK-cell lymphoma (C86.-)Inherited from C85
  • personal history of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (Z85.72)Inherited from C85

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for C85.99. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for C85.99. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for C85.99. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider must specify which extranodal organ or solid organ site is involved.
Pathology confirming NHL with immunohistochemistry results should be documented.
Disease stage, treatment approach (which may differ based on organ site), and response to therapy must be clearly recorded.

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Provider must specify which extranodal organ or solid organ site is involved.
Pathology confirming NHL with immunohistochemistry results should be documented.
Disease stage, treatment approach (which may differ based on organ site), and response to therapy must be clearly recorded.

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Ensure the lymphoma is truly extranodal and not a misclassification of nodal disease.
Avoid this code when a more specific NHL subtype is identified, as subtype-specific codes exist.
Do not confuse primary extranodal lymphoma with metastatic involvement of organs from a nodal primary.

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C85.91-C85.98 codes are for nodal disease at specific lymph node sites and should not be used for extranodal involvement.
Organ-specific primary malignancy codes (e.g., C16.x for gastric cancer) should not be used for lymphoma involving these organs.
C88.40 (MALT lymphoma) is a more specific code for certain mucosal extranodal NHL.

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 C85.99 an HCC code?

Yes. C85.99 (Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, extranodal and solid organ sites) maps to HCC 21, Lymphoma and Other Cancers under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.671. 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: C85.99 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 21, Lymphoma and Other Cancers. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
C85.99
Description
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, extranodal and solid organ sites
HCC (V28)
HCC 21 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
RAF reference coefficient
0.671
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 21, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.671
ESRDHCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
Not separately weighted
RxHCCHCC 21, Lymphomas and Other Hematologic Cancers
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 C85.99 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for C85.99

For C85.99, 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

C85.99 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for non-hodgkin lymphoma, unspecified, extranodal and solid organ sites. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of unspecified type affecting organs or tissues outside the lymph node system. C85.99 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, C85.99 maps to Lymphoma and Other Cancers (HCC 21) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.671. 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.

Extranodal sites include organs like liver, bone, GI tract, CNS, and other solid organs. For C85.99, 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 C85.99 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Extranodal sites include organs like liver, bone, GI tract, CNS, and other solid organs
  • Specify which organ(s) are involved in documentation for optimal coding accuracy

Clinical Significance

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of unspecified type affecting extranodal and solid organ sites represents lymphoma arising in or primarily involving organs outside the lymph node system, such as the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, liver, bone, or skin. Extranodal NHL accounts for approximately one-third of all NHL cases and may present with organ-specific symptoms that mimic non-malignant conditions. Prognosis and treatment vary significantly depending on the organ involved.

Documentation Requirements

  • Provider must specify which extranodal organ or solid organ site is involved.
  • Pathology confirming NHL with immunohistochemistry results should be documented.
  • Disease stage, treatment approach (which may differ based on organ site), and response to therapy must be clearly recorded.

Commonly Confused Codes

  • C85.91-C85.98 codes are for nodal disease at specific lymph node sites and should not be used for extranodal involvement.
  • Organ-specific primary malignancy codes (e.g., C16.x for gastric cancer) should not be used for lymphoma involving these organs.
  • C88.40 (MALT lymphoma) is a more specific code for certain mucosal extranodal NHL.

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Also searched as

  • C85 99
  • C8599

For C85.99, 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.

C85.99 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 21, Lymphoma 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 C85.99. 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 C85.99 in HCC Buddy

Open C85.99 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.