Skip to content

C96

Non-Billable (Header)

Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue

Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)

What This Code Means

C96 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue. C96 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).

Header codes like C96 cannot be reported on claims directly — they organize child codes that share clinical context but the actual diagnosis must be coded to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation. Coders should look at C96's child codes and select the one that matches the patient's documented presentation, since payers reject header codes submitted as the primary diagnosis. For risk adjustment workflows, header codes never contribute to a Medicare Advantage member's RAF score on their own; only billable child codes that happen to map to a payment HCC affect risk-adjusted plan payments.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for C96 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Excludes 1 — Do NOT code together

  • personal history of other malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissues (Z85.79)

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

C96Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue
C96Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue

Open C96 in the Interactive Encoder

See full code details, AI coding tips, HCC mappings, and related codes in our interactive encoder. Start your 14-day Pro trial — no credit card required.