HCC Buddy Code Card
Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.
FY 2026 Apr update / Neoplasms (C00-D49) / Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue (C81-C96)
C91.01
Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidanceAcute lymphoblastic leukemia, in remission
A fast-growing blood cancer affecting young white blood cells that is currently in remission with no detectable disease.
Buddy Insight
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission indicates successful induction chemotherapy with clearance of blast cells from the bone marrow (typically less than 5% blasts).
CMS-HCC V28
MappedHCC 18
RAF 0.368
CMS-HCC V24
MappedHCC 8
RAF 2.484
ACA/HHS
00
RAF 0
ESRD/PACE
MappedHCC 8
RAF 0.0
RXHCC
MappedHCC 19
RAF 0.0
Code Trumping
Basket needed
Code Book Path
Inclusion Terms
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for C91.01 in this effective period.
Excludes 2
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for C91.01 in this effective period.
Related Child Codes
Includes
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for C91.01 in this effective period.
Excludes 1
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for C91.01 in this effective period.
Code First
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for C91.01 in this effective period.
Use Additional
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for C91.01 in this effective period.
Code Also
OfficialICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for C91.01 in this effective period.
Buddy Documentation Tip
MEAT Support
Audit Caution
Common Mistakes
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 C91.01 an HCC code?
Yes. C91.01 maps to Metastatic Cancer to Peritoneum and Other Specified Sites under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Metastatic Cancer and Acute Leukemia 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 C91.01
For C91.01to 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 C91.01 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
C91.01 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in remission. A fast-growing blood cancer affecting young white blood cells that is currently in remission with no detectable disease. C91.01 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, C91.01 maps to Metastatic Cancer to Peritoneum and Other Specified Sites (HCC 18) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.368. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, C91.01 maps to Metastatic Cancer and Acute Leukemia (HCC 8) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 2.484. 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.
Remission requires explicit physician documentation and typically supported by lab values and bone marrow findings. Because C91.01 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 C91.01 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Remission requires explicit physician documentation and typically supported by lab values and bone marrow findings
- •This code indicates successful treatment response; document the date remission was achieved if available
Clinical Significance
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission indicates successful induction chemotherapy with clearance of blast cells from the bone marrow (typically less than 5% blasts). Remission is a critical milestone but does not constitute cure, as patients require prolonged consolidation and maintenance therapy lasting 2-3 years to prevent relapse. Minimal residual disease monitoring is increasingly used to guide treatment intensity.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Provider must document remission with supporting bone marrow biopsy showing less than 5% blasts, normalization of blood counts, and resolution of extramedullary disease.
- ✓Minimal residual disease status, current treatment phase (consolidation, maintenance), ongoing cerebrospinal fluid monitoring, and treatment protocol must be recorded.
Commonly Confused Codes
- •C91.00 (ALL not in remission) indicates active disease.
- •C91.02 (ALL in relapse) indicates recurrence after remission.
- •Z85.6 (personal history of leukemia) is only appropriate when treatment is complete and the disease is considered cured.
- •C91.10 (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) is an entirely different entity.