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Changes for FY2027 on October 1, 2026

Becomes a non-billable header code on October 1, 2026: report a more specific child code for dates of service from then on.

Source: CMS FY2027 order and addenda files, staged 2026-07-13. All FY2027 changes

M86.8X4 ICD-10-CM Code: Other osteomyelitis, hand

M86.8X4 maps to CMS-HCC V28 92. A source-labeled RAF reference is available. Confirm the documented diagnosis and applicable coding requirements. MEAT criteria · RAF Calculator · HCC Buddy coding tools

ICD-10-CM Code View

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Code lookupM86.8X4

FY 2026 Apr update / Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99) / Other osteopathies (M86-M90)

M86.8X4

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

Other osteomyelitis, hand

A bone infection (osteomyelitis) affecting the hand bones that doesn't fit into other specific osteomyelitis categories.

Buddy the Bee presenting code insight

Buddy Insight

Other osteomyelitis of the hand represents bone infection in the complex small bones of the hand that doesn't fit standard acute or chronic criteria.

CMS-HCC V28

HCC 92

Coefficient HCC 92: 0.479 (Community Non-Dual Aged (CNA))

CMS-HCC V24

Historical

Historical

Not used for CY2026 payment

ACA/HHS

HCC 055

Code-level coefficient reference

ESRD/PACE

HCC 39

Code-level coefficient reference

RXHCC

N/A

Not mapped

Inclusion Terms

Official
  • Brodie's abscessInherited from M86.8

Excludes 2

Official
  • arthropathic psoriasis (L40.5-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • compartment syndrome (traumatic) (T79.A-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • ostemyelitis of:Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • orbit (H05.0-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • petrous bone (H70.2-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86
  • vertebra (M46.2-)Inherited from M00-M99, M86

Includes

Official

No Includes notes are included in this display for M86.8X4. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Excludes 1

Official
  • postprocedural osteopathies (M96.-)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • osteomyelitis due to:Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • echinococcus (B67.2)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • gonococcus (A54.43)Inherited from M86-M90, M86
  • salmonella (A02.24)Inherited from M86-M90, M86

Code First

Official

No Code First sequencing instructions are included in this display for M86.8X4. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Use Additional

Official
  • code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agentInherited from M86
  • code to identify major osseous defect, if applicable (M89.7-)Inherited from M86

Code Also

Official

No Code Also instructions are included in this display for M86.8X4. Check the code and parent instructions in the Code Book.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
Clear documentation of hand bone osteomyelitis
Rationale for 'other' classification versus acute or chronic
Specification of which hand bones are affected
Detailed imaging studies showing bone involvement

MEAT Support

HCC Buddy guidance
Clear documentation of hand bone osteomyelitis
Rationale for 'other' classification versus acute or chronic
Specification of which hand bones are affected
Detailed imaging studies showing bone involvement

Audit Caution

HCC Buddy guidance
Using when acute or chronic classifications clearly apply
Not specifying laterality when available in documentation
Confusing with paronychia or other superficial hand infections
Missing concurrent tendon or joint involvement

Common Mistakes

HCC Buddy guidance
M86.641 — Chronic osteomyelitis of right hand has established chronicity
M86.141 — Acute osteomyelitis of right hand represents acute infection
L03.111 — Cellulitis of right finger affects soft tissue only
M79.603 — Pain in arm affects soft tissue rather than bone

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 M86.8X4 an HCC code?

Yes. M86.8X4 (Other osteomyelitis, hand) maps to HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, with a source-labeled community non-dual aged reference coefficient of 0.479. 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: M86.8X4 is billable and maps to V28 HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis. Open it in the Code Book for the tabular path, RAF, and MEAT checklist.

Code
M86.8X4
Description
Other osteomyelitis, hand
HCC (V28)
HCC 92 — Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis
RAF reference coefficient
0.479
Billable
Yes
Payment year
2026

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis
0.479
ESRDHCC 39, Bone/Joint/Muscle Infections/Necrosis
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 M86.8X4 in the Code Book — tabular path, V28 RAF reference, and MEAT checklist →

MEAT review for M86.8X4

For M86.8X4, 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

M86.8X4 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other osteomyelitis, hand. A bone infection (osteomyelitis) affecting the hand bones that doesn't fit into other specific osteomyelitis categories. M86.8X4 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (m00-m99), within the section covering other osteopathies (m86-m90).

Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, M86.8X4 maps to Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis (HCC 92) with a source-labeled community, non-dual, aged reference coefficient of 0.479. 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 covers osteomyelitis of carpal bones, metacarpals, and phalanges. For M86.8X4, 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 M86.8X4 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • This code covers osteomyelitis of carpal bones, metacarpals, and phalanges
  • Verify the infection type is not acute or chronic before using this 'other' classification

Clinical Significance

Other osteomyelitis of the hand represents bone infection in the complex small bones of the hand that doesn't fit standard acute or chronic criteria. This condition poses significant risk to fine motor function and dexterity, requiring specialized hand surgery consultation and aggressive treatment to prevent permanent functional impairment and preserve hand anatomy.

Documentation Requirements

  • Clear documentation of hand bone osteomyelitis
  • Rationale for 'other' classification versus acute or chronic
  • Specification of which hand bones are affected
  • Detailed imaging studies showing bone involvement
  • Culture or biopsy results when obtained
  • Specialized hand therapy or surgical consultation
  • Assessment of hand function and dexterity
  • Documentation of unique clinical characteristics

Commonly Confused Codes

  • M86.641: Chronic osteomyelitis of right hand has established chronicity
  • M86.141: Acute osteomyelitis of right hand represents acute infection
  • L03.111: Cellulitis of right finger affects soft tissue only
  • M79.603: Pain in arm affects soft tissue rather than bone

Child Codes

Code Hierarchy

M86.8X4 code history

Code setChange
FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026)Billability changed (now non-billable header) · all FY2027 changes

Source: official CMS ICD-10-CM order and addenda files, FY2016 through FY2027.

Also searched as

  • M86 8X4
  • M868X4

For M86.8X4, 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.

M86.8X4 maps to CMS-HCC V28 category 92, Bone/Joint/Muscle/Severe Soft Tissue Infections/Necrosis. See the ICD-10 to HCC mapping hub for how the V28 crosswalk works. The mapping identifies a payment HCC category for M86.8X4. 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 M86.8X4

Referenced in blog posts

Work M86.8X4 in HCC Buddy

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