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C88.81 ICD-10-CM Code: Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases, in remission

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

C88.81

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

Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases, in remission

A cancer of immune cells (other than the common types) that is currently in remission, meaning the cancer is responding well to treatment or has disappeared.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases in remission indicates a rare immunoproliferative neoplasm not classifiable to more specific categories has responded to treatment.

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
C88Malignant immunoproliferative diseases and certain other B-cell lymphomas
C88.8Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases
C88.81Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases, in remission

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for C88.81 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for C88.81 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
C88.80Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases not having achieved remission

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for C88.81 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for C88.81 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for C88.81 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for C88.81 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for C88.81 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Remission must be explicitly documented by the treating physician with supporting laboratory evidence such as normalization of serum protein electrophoresis or resolution of abnormal immunoglobulin levels.
The specific immunoproliferative entity should be described in detail.
Surveillance plan and monitoring parameters must be documented.

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Remission must be explicitly documented by the treating physician with supporting laboratory evidence such as normalization of serum protein electrophoresis or resolution of abnormal immunoglobulin levels.
The specific immunoproliferative entity should be described in detail.
Surveillance plan and monitoring parameters must be documented.

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Do not assign remission without explicit provider documentation.
Ensure a more specific immunoproliferative disease code does not apply before using this residual category.
This remains an active malignancy code during surveillance and should not be replaced with a history code.

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
C88.80 (other malignant immunoproliferative diseases not in remission) indicates active disease.
C88.91 (malignant immunoproliferative disease, unspecified, in remission) is even less specific.
Z85.79 (personal history of malignant neoplasm of lymphoid tissue) is only for cured disease.

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 C88.81 an HCC code?

Yes. C88.81 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 C88.81

For C88.81to 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 C88.81 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

C88.81 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other malignant immunoproliferative diseases, in remission. A cancer of immune cells (other than the common types) that is currently in remission, meaning the cancer is responding well to treatment or has disappeared. C88.81 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, C88.81 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, C88.81 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.

The fifth character '1' indicates remission status; verify documentation confirms patient has achieved remission. Because C88.81 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 C88.81 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • The fifth character '1' indicates remission status; verify documentation confirms patient has achieved remission
  • This code is for 'other' immunoproliferative diseases, so ensure the specific type doesn't fit C88.0 or C88.9

Clinical Significance

Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases in remission indicates a rare immunoproliferative neoplasm not classifiable to more specific categories has responded to treatment. These conditions may have variable prognoses depending on the specific entity involved. Ongoing surveillance is necessary to monitor for relapse and any persistent immunoglobulin-related complications.

Documentation Requirements

  • Remission must be explicitly documented by the treating physician with supporting laboratory evidence such as normalization of serum protein electrophoresis or resolution of abnormal immunoglobulin levels.
  • The specific immunoproliferative entity should be described in detail.
  • Surveillance plan and monitoring parameters must be documented.

Commonly Confused Codes

  • C88.80 (other malignant immunoproliferative diseases not in remission) indicates active disease.
  • C88.91 (malignant immunoproliferative disease, unspecified, in remission) is even less specific.
  • Z85.79 (personal history of malignant neoplasm of lymphoid tissue) is only for cured disease.

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

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