What is ICD-10 code E70.338?

E70.338 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Other albinism with hematologic abnormality. A rare condition where abnormal skin and hair pigmentation (albinism) occurs alongside blood cell disorders, excluding Chediak-Higashi syndrome. It belongs to the ICD-10-CM chapter for endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (e00-e89). E70.338 is a billable code, meaning it can be reported on a claim as a primary or secondary diagnosis when supported by documentation. E70.338 is part of the FY2026 ICD-10-CM code set published by the CMS National Center for Health Statistics and used on Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial claims in the United States.

Yes. E70.338 is a billable ICD-10-CM code that can be reported on professional and institutional claims as a primary or secondary diagnosis when the provider documentation supports the specific condition described. Billable codes in ICD-10-CM are coded to the highest level of specificity available for the documented diagnosis. E70.338 is current for fiscal year 2026 and remains in the active CMS ICD-10-CM code set published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

What is the V28 vs V24 difference for E70.338?

CMS phased in the V28 risk adjustment model over payment years 2024 (33%), 2025 (67%), and 2026 (100%), replacing V24. V28 consolidates HCC categories, removes some lower-acuity conditions, and recalibrates RAF weights across the entire model. E70.338 was a payment HCC under V24 (Other Significant Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders) but the V28 recalibration removed it from the risk adjustment model. Both models can still appear in legacy data and in payer-specific lookback periods.

What should coders know when reporting E70.338?

Use this code only when albinism with hematologic abnormality is documented but is not Chediak-Higashi syndrome Ensure documentation specifies the type of hematologic abnormality present to support medical necessity Because E70.338 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.

E70.338: Other albinism with hematologic

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.

Code lookupE70.338Effective periodFY2026 Apr Update (Apr 1-Sep 30)

FY 2026 Apr update / Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E89) / Metabolic disorders (E70-E88)

E70.338

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

Other albinism with hematologic abnormality

A rare condition where abnormal skin and hair pigmentation (albinism) occurs alongside blood cell disorders, excluding Chediak-Higashi syndrome.

Buddy Insight

CMS-HCC V28

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

RAF 0

CMS-HCC V24

Mapped

HCC 23

Other Significant Endocrine a...

RAF 0.230

ACA/HHS

Not risk-adjusted for this model/period.

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

Mapped

HCC 23

Other Significant Endocrine a...

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

Mapped

HCC 43

Other Significant Endocrine a...

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

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Code Book Path

Official

E70.3Albinism

E70.33Albinism with hematologic abnormality

E70.338Other albinism with hematologic abnormality

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for E70.338 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for E70.338 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official

E70.330Chediak-Higashi syndrome

E70.331Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome

E70.339Albinism with hematologic abnormality, unspecified

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for E70.338 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for E70.338 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for E70.338 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for E70.338 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for E70.338 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance

Documentation should specify the exact condition diagnosed, supporting genetic test results, characterization of both the pigmentation defect and the hematologic abnormality (type, severity, clinical impact), and any organ complications.

The provider should clearly document why this does not qualify as Chediak-Higashi or Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.

Treatment regimen and monitoring plan should be detailed.

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance

The provider should clearly document why this does not qualify as Chediak-Higashi or Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.

Treatment regimen and monitoring plan should be detailed.

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance

Do not use this code when Chediak-Higashi or Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome has been confirmed

those have their own specific codes. Ensure both the albinism and hematologic components are documented and causally linked as part of the same genetic syndrome. Code organ-specific complications separately. Griscelli syndrome and similar rare conditions should use this code when specific codes are not available.

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance

E70.330 (Chediak-Higashi syndrome) and E70.331 (Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome) are specific named syndromes that should be used when confirmed.

E70.339 (Albinism with hematologic abnormality, unspecified) is for cases where the specific type cannot be determined.

E70.320-E70.329 (Oculocutaneous albinism) does not include hematologic components.

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 E70.338 an HCC code?

Yes. E70.338 maps to Other Significant Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders under the V24 model but is not retained in V28.

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 23, Other Significant Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

0.230

ESRDHCC 23, Other Significant Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

0.000

RxHCCHCC 43, Other Significant Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

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 E70.338

For E70.338to 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 E70.338 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

E70.338 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other albinism with hematologic abnormality. A rare condition where abnormal skin and hair pigmentation (albinism) occurs alongside blood cell disorders, excluding Chediak-Higashi syndrome. E70.338 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (e00-e89), within the section covering metabolic disorders (e70-e88).

Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, E70.338 maps to Other Significant Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (HCC 23) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.230. 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.

Use this code only when albinism with hematologic abnormality is documented but is not Chediak-Higashi syndrome. Because E70.338 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 E70.338 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

•Use this code only when albinism with hematologic abnormality is documented but is not Chediak-Higashi syndrome
•Ensure documentation specifies the type of hematologic abnormality present to support medical necessity

Clinical Significance

Other albinism with hematologic abnormality captures rare genetic conditions combining pigmentation defects with blood cell disorders that do not meet criteria for Chediak-Higashi syndrome or Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. These may include Griscelli syndrome or other rare melanocyte and platelet granule disorders, each carrying distinct clinical implications for infection risk, bleeding, and organ-specific complications.

Documentation Requirements

✓Documentation should specify the exact condition diagnosed, supporting genetic test results, characterization of both the pigmentation defect and the hematologic abnormality (type, severity, clinical impact), and any organ complications.
✓The provider should clearly document why this does not qualify as Chediak-Higashi or Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.
✓Treatment regimen and monitoring plan should be detailed.

Commonly Confused Codes

•E70.330 (Chediak-Higashi syndrome) and E70.331 (Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome) are specific named syndromes that should be used when confirmed.
•E70.339 (Albinism with hematologic abnormality, unspecified) is for cases where the specific type cannot be determined.
•E70.320-E70.329 (Oculocutaneous albinism) does not include hematologic components.