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M08.841 ICD-10-CM Code: Other juvenile arthritis, right hand

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

M08.841

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

Other juvenile arthritis, right hand

Arthritis in children affecting the right hand joints, not classified as rheumatoid or other specific types.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Other juvenile arthritis affecting the right hand represents a significant pediatric inflammatory condition that can severely impact fine motor development and hand function.

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

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Code Book Path

Official
M08.8Other juvenile arthritis
M08.84Other juvenile arthritis, hand
M08.841Other juvenile arthritis, right hand

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for M08.841 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for M08.841 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official
M08.842Other juvenile arthritis, left hand
M08.849Other juvenile arthritis, unspecified hand

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for M08.841 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for M08.841 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for M08.841 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for M08.841 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for M08.841 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Physician diagnosis of juvenile arthritis not classified as standard JRA
Specific documentation of right hand joint involvement
Clinical evidence of inflammatory changes in hand joints
Age at onset confirming pediatric presentation

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Physician diagnosis of juvenile arthritis not classified as standard JRA
Specific documentation of right hand joint involvement
Clinical evidence of inflammatory changes in hand joints
Age at onset confirming pediatric presentation

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Laterality confusion when coding right versus left hand involvement
Using unspecified site codes when specific hand involvement is documented
Misclassification of different juvenile arthritis types
Coding hand pain rather than established inflammatory arthritis

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M08.842 — Left hand versus right hand involvement
M08.849 — Unspecified hand versus documented right hand
M08.80 — Unspecified site versus specific hand involvement
M25.541 — Pain in right hand versus 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 M08.841 an HCC code?

Yes. M08.841 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 M08.841

For M08.841to 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 M08.841 during that encounter, not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.

What This Code Means

M08.841 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other juvenile arthritis, right hand. Arthritis in children affecting the right hand joints, not classified as rheumatoid or other specific types. M08.841 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, M08.841 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, M08.841 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 documentation specifies right hand involvement. Because M08.841 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 M08.841 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • Confirm documentation specifies right hand involvement
  • Note that 'hand' includes all hand joints (fingers, metacarpals, etc.)

Clinical Significance

Other juvenile arthritis affecting the right hand represents a significant pediatric inflammatory condition that can severely impact fine motor development and hand function. This diagnosis requires specialized management to preserve dexterity, prevent joint deformities, and maintain the child's ability to perform essential activities like writing, self-care, and play.

Documentation Requirements

  • Physician diagnosis of juvenile arthritis not classified as standard JRA
  • Specific documentation of right hand joint involvement
  • Clinical evidence of inflammatory changes in hand joints
  • Age at onset confirming pediatric presentation
  • Laboratory studies supporting inflammatory arthritis diagnosis
  • Assessment of hand function and fine motor skills
  • Treatment plan addressing hand-specific therapeutic needs
  • Monitoring for complications affecting hand development and grip strength

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M08.842: Left hand versus right hand involvement
  • M08.849: Unspecified hand versus documented right hand
  • M08.80: Unspecified site versus specific hand involvement
  • M25.541: Pain in right hand versus inflammatory arthritis
  • M12.541: Palindromic rheumatism right hand versus juvenile arthritis

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

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