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M06.041 ICD-10-CM Code: Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, right hand

M06.041 maps to CMS-HCC V28 93. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · free HCC coding tools

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

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Code lookupM06.041

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

M06.041

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

Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, right hand

Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the right hand without rheumatoid factor antibodies.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis represents autoimmune inflammatory arthritis with a negative rheumatoid factor blood test, which occurs in approximately 20-30% of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 93

Coefficient HCC 93: 0.617 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 056

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 40

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

HCC 83

Code-level coefficient reference

Inclusion Terms

Official

No inclusion terms are included in this display for M06.041. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 2

Official
  • arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)Inherited from M00-M99
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from M00-M99
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from M00-M99
  • compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)Inherited from M00-M99
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from M00-M99
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from M00-M99
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from M00-M99
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from M00-M99
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from M00-M99
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from M00-M99

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for M06.041. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official

No Excludes 1 notes are included in this display for M06.041. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for M06.041. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official

No Use Additional Code instructions are included in this display for M06.041. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for M06.041. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Clinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis clearly documented by the treating provider
Rheumatoid factor lab result status (positive or negative) consistent with the code selected
Affected joint(s) specified with laterality (right, left, or bilateral)
Current disease status: active, in remission, or chronic stable

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Clinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis clearly documented by the treating provider
Rheumatoid factor lab result status (positive or negative) consistent with the code selected
Affected joint(s) specified with laterality (right, left, or bilateral)
Current disease status: active, in remission, or chronic stable

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Failing to verify rheumatoid factor status before selecting between M05 (seropositive) and M06 (seronegative) categories — lab results must support code selection
Coding rheumatoid arthritis based solely on a positive rheumatoid factor lab result without a clinical diagnosis from the provider — a positive rheumatoid factor alone is not sufficient to code rheumatoid arthritis
Reporting rheumatoid arthritis from past medical history without confirmation that the condition is still active, being treated, or being monitored during the current encounter
Confusing seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (M06.0x) with undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis (M06.9 or M13.x) — seronegative rheumatoid arthritis requires a definitive clinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis despite negative serology

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M05.7xx (Rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor without organ involvement) — Use M05.7xx when rheumatoid factor test is positive
M05.8xx (Other rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor) — Use M05.8xx for other seropositive presentations
M06.9 (Rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified) — Avoid when rheumatoid factor status and site are documented; code to highest specificity
M13.x (Other arthritis) — Use for non-rheumatoid inflammatory arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis has its own specific category

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 M06.041 an HCC code?

Yes. M06.041 (Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, right hand) maps to HCC 93, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.617. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes. It is billable for payment year 2026.

Coder answer: M06.041 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
M06.041
Description
Rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, right hand
HCC (V28)
HCC 93 — Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders
RAF reference coefficient
0.617
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 93, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders
0.617
ESRDHCC 40, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
Not separately weighted
RxHCCHCC 83, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Inflammatory Polyarthropathy
Not separately weighted

These are source-labeled model coefficients, not member totals. A category may still be removed by hierarchy or model cleanup rules. 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 context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains available for historical review.

Work M06.041 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for M06.041

For M06.041, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

  • 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

Coder workflow notes

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What This Code Means

M06.041 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor, right hand. Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the right hand without rheumatoid factor antibodies. M06.041 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, M06.041 maps to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Other Specified Inflammatory Rheumatic Disorders (HCC 93) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.617. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS uses 100% of the 2024 CMS-HCC model (V28). PACE uses a separate model blend. Source-labeled code-level coefficients are references, not member totals. Actual contribution depends on complete member context, hierarchy and cleanup rules, interactions, and model year. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports CMS-HCC V28 PY2026 and shows no score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

This code includes all joints of the right hand; specify which hand joints are affected in documentation if needed. For M06.041, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule. 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, source-labeled coefficient references, and MEAT documentation criteria for M06.041 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • This code includes all joints of the right hand; specify which hand joints are affected in documentation if needed
  • Confirm negative rheumatoid factor status before coding

Clinical Significance

Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis represents autoimmune inflammatory arthritis with a negative rheumatoid factor blood test, which occurs in approximately 20-30% of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Despite the negative serology, the disease carries similar risks of joint destruction and disability. This code is significant for risk adjustment as it captures a chronic condition requiring ongoing disease-modifying therapy.

Documentation Requirements

  • Clinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis clearly documented by the treating provider
  • Rheumatoid factor lab result status (positive or negative) consistent with the code selected
  • Affected joint(s) specified with laterality (right, left, or bilateral)
  • Current disease status: active, in remission, or chronic stable
  • Current treatment plan including medications (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, biologics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
  • Assessment and plan addressing rheumatoid arthritis at each encounter where it impacts care or treatment

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M05.7xx (Rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor without organ involvement): Use M05.7xx when rheumatoid factor test is positive
  • M05.8xx (Other rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor): Use M05.8xx for other seropositive presentations
  • M06.9 (Rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified): Avoid when rheumatoid factor status and site are documented; code to highest specificity
  • M13.x (Other arthritis): Use for non-rheumatoid inflammatory arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis has its own specific category
  • M19.x (Osteoarthritis): Osteoarthritis is a degenerative, non-autoimmune condition; do not confuse with rheumatoid arthritis which is inflammatory and autoimmune

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Also searched as

  • M06 041
  • M06041

For M06.041, confirm that the documentation supports the diagnosis and meets the applicable coding, encounter, program and payer requirements. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a universal CMS coding rule.

M06.041 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. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for M06.041. Review its source-labeled HCC coefficient above, check the RAF Calculator with complete member context for CMS-HCC V28 PY2026, and confirm the documentation the chart needs before the code is submitted. HCC Buddy shows no RAF score unless every required source and calculation check passes.

More on M06.041

Code family

Every M06 code with its CMS-HCC V28 statusOther rheumatoid arthritis, 101 billable codes

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Work M06.041 in HCC Buddy

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