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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 0.671

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 10

RAF 0.675

ACA/HHS

HCC 10

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

HCC 10

RAF 0.111

RXHCC

HCC 21

RAF 0.410

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.

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 C88.81 an HCC code?

Yes. C88.81 (Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases, in remission) maps to Lymphoma and Other Cancers under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Lymphoma and Other Cancers under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.671. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: C88.81 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
C88.81
Description
Other malignant immunoproliferative diseases, in remission
HCC (V28)
HCC 21 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
RAF
0.671
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 21, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.671
V24HCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.675
ESRDHCC 10, Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.111
RxHCCHCC 21, Hodgkin Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.410

Each model's RAF is its CMS base weight for that model's standard population, so 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 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.

Work C88.81 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for C88.81

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

Coder workflow notes

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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 Lymphoma and Other Cancers (HCC 21) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.671. Under the older V24 model, C88.81 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.675, V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. 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

C88.81 code history

Code setChange
FY2025 (effective Oct 1, 2024)Added to the code set

Source: official CMS ICD-10-CM order and addenda files, FY2016 through FY2027.

Because C88.81 maps to a payment HCC, the documentation must also satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's risk adjustment score.

C88.81 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. Because C88.81 carries a payment HCC, you can see what it adds to a RAF score and check the documentation the chart needs before it is submitted.

Work C88.81 in HCC Buddy

Open C88.81 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.