Skip to content

M08.062 ICD-10-CM Code: Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left knee

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.

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

M08.062

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

Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left knee

A type of arthritis that develops in children, affecting the left knee joint, causing inflammation and joint damage.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

This code identifies juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with specific left knee involvement, representing a chronic pediatric inflammatory condition that impacts mobility and requires comprehensive disease management.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 93

RAF 0.175

CMS-HCC V24

HCC 40

RAF 0.307

ACA/HHS

0

0

RAF 0

ESRD/PACE

HCC 40

RAF 0.0

RXHCC

HCC 83

RAF 0.0

Code Trumping

Basket needed

Code Book Path

Official
M08.0Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
M08.06Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, knee
M08.062Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left knee

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for M08.062 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for M08.062 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
M08.061Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right knee
M08.069Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified knee

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for M08.062 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for M08.062 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for M08.062 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for M08.062 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for M08.062 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Physician documentation of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis
Specific identification of left knee joint involvement
Patient age at onset documented as under 16 years
Clinical evidence of chronic joint inflammation

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Physician documentation of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis
Specific identification of left knee joint involvement
Patient age at onset documented as under 16 years
Clinical evidence of chronic joint inflammation

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Using unspecified laterality when specific side is documented
Confusing with adult rheumatoid arthritis codes
Failing to recognize JRA subtype distinctions
Coding resolved or inactive disease as current

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M08061 — Right knee involvement instead of left knee
M08069 — Unspecified knee when left side is documented
M06.861 — Adult RA of left knee for patients over 16
M25.562 — Left knee pain without inflammatory arthritis

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 M08.062 an HCC code?

Yes. M08.062 maps to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease under V24).

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 93, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
0.175
V24HCC 40, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
0.307
ESRDHCC 40, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
0.000
RxHCCHCC 83, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease
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 M08.062

For M08.062to 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 M08.062 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

M08.062 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left knee. A type of arthritis that develops in children, affecting the left knee joint, causing inflammation and joint damage. M08.062 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, M08.062 maps to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Connective Tissue Disease (HCC 93) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.175. Under the older V24 model, M08.062 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.307, V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. 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.

Confirm left knee laterality is documented to differentiate from right knee involvement. Because M08.062 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 M08.062 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Confirm left knee laterality is documented to differentiate from right knee involvement
  • Check for any additional documentation that might specify the type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Clinical Significance

This code identifies juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with specific left knee involvement, representing a chronic pediatric inflammatory condition that impacts mobility and requires comprehensive disease management. Early intervention is crucial to prevent long-term joint damage and growth abnormalities.

Documentation Requirements

  • Physician documentation of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis
  • Specific identification of left knee joint involvement
  • Patient age at onset documented as under 16 years
  • Clinical evidence of chronic joint inflammation
  • Functional assessment of left knee mobility and pain
  • Documentation of systemic inflammatory markers when present
  • Treatment regimen including immunosuppressive therapy
  • Regular monitoring schedule for disease activity and complications

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M08061: Right knee involvement instead of left knee
  • M08069: Unspecified knee when left side is documented
  • M06.861: Adult RA of left knee for patients over 16
  • M25.562: Left knee pain without inflammatory arthritis
  • M08.09: Multiple site JRA when only left knee affected

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

Open M08.062 in the Interactive Encoder

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