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M05.60 ICD-10-CM Code: Rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified site with involvement of other organs and systems

M05.60 maps to CMS-HCC V28 93 (RAF 0.617). Documentation must support MEAT. MEAT criteria · RAF calculator · free HCC coding tools

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FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99) / Inflammatory polyarthropathies (M05-M14)

M05.60

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

Rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified site with involvement of other organs and systems

Rheumatoid arthritis affecting organs and systems beyond the joints, such as the heart, lungs, or eyes, but the specific joint location is not identified.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Represents rheumatoid arthritis with involvement of other organs and systems at an unspecified site, indicating severe systemic inflammatory disease with extra-articular manifestations.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 93

RAF 0.617

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 40

RAF 0.421

ACA/HHS

HCC 56

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

HCC 40

RAF 0.058

RXHCC

HCC 83

RAF 0.222

Code Book Path

Official
M05Rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor
M05.6Rheumatoid arthritis with involvement of other organs and systems
M05.60Rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified site with involvement of other organs and systems

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for M05.60 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for M05.60 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
M05.61Rheumatoid arthritis of shoulder with involvement of other organs and systems
M05.62Rheumatoid arthritis of elbow with involvement of other organs and systems
M05.63Rheumatoid arthritis of wrist with involvement of other organs and systems
M05.64Rheumatoid arthritis of hand with involvement of other organs and systems
M05.65Rheumatoid arthritis of hip with involvement of other organs and systems

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for M05.60 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for M05.60 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for M05.60 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for M05.60 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for M05.60 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Confirmed rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis with clinical or serological evidence
Documentation of extra-articular organ system involvement
Evidence of systemic manifestations (cardiac, pulmonary, ocular, etc.)
Laboratory markers supporting systemic inflammation

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Confirmed rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis with clinical or serological evidence
Documentation of extra-articular organ system involvement
Evidence of systemic manifestations (cardiac, pulmonary, ocular, etc.)
Laboratory markers supporting systemic inflammation

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Not confirming both RA and extra-articular involvement are documented
Failing to verify organ system involvement beyond joint manifestations
Missing the requirement for physician-documented systemic disease
Confusing with other connective tissue disorders

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M06.9 — Simple rheumatoid arthritis without organ involvement
M35.9 — Connective tissue disease without specific RA diagnosis
M32.9 — Systemic lupus erythematosus with organ involvement
M79.3 — Panniculitis without confirmed rheumatoid connection

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 M05.60 an HCC code?

Yes. M05.60 (Rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified site with involvement of other organs and systems) maps to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease under V24), with a community non-dual aged RAF of 0.617. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: M05.60 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 93, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
M05.60
Description
Rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified site with involvement of other organs and systems
HCC (V28)
HCC 93 — Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders
RAF
0.617
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 93, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders
0.617
V24HCC 40, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
0.421
ESRDHCC 40, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
0.058
RxHCCHCC 83, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
0.222

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 M05.60 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT Criteria for M05.60

For M05.60 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 M05.60 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

M05.60 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for rheumatoid arthritis of unspecified site with involvement of other organs and systems. Rheumatoid arthritis affecting organs and systems beyond the joints, such as the heart, lungs, or eyes, but the specific joint location is not identified. M05.60 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (m00-m99), within the section covering inflammatory polyarthropathies (m05-m14).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, M05.60 maps to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders (HCC 93) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.617. Under the older CMS-HCC V24 model, M05.60 maps to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease (HCC 40) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.421. 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.

This code is used when systemic manifestations are present but no specific joint site is documented. Because M05.60 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 M05.60 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • This code is used when systemic manifestations are present but no specific joint site is documented
  • Document the specific organs or systems involved (e.g., rheumatoid lung, rheumatoid heart disease) for complete coding

Clinical Significance

Represents rheumatoid arthritis with involvement of other organs and systems at an unspecified site, indicating severe systemic inflammatory disease with extra-articular manifestations. This diagnosis captures the complexity of RA when it affects organs beyond joints, requiring comprehensive medical management and monitoring.

Documentation Requirements

  • Confirmed rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis with clinical or serological evidence
  • Documentation of extra-articular organ system involvement
  • Evidence of systemic manifestations (cardiac, pulmonary, ocular, etc.)
  • Laboratory markers supporting systemic inflammation
  • Specialist evaluations confirming organ involvement
  • Assessment of functional status and disability level
  • Documentation of immunosuppressive treatment regimen
  • Physician documentation linking RA to organ system involvement

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M06.9: Simple rheumatoid arthritis without organ involvement
  • M35.9: Connective tissue disease without specific RA diagnosis
  • M32.9: Systemic lupus erythematosus with organ involvement
  • M79.3: Panniculitis without confirmed rheumatoid connection
  • M05.59: RA with polyneuropathy at multiple sites

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Because M05.60 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.

M05.60 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 93, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. Because M05.60 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.

More on M05.60

Related condition guides

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