T32.44
BillableCorrosions involving 40-49% of body surface with 40-49% third degree corrosion
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is T32.44 an HCC code?
Yes. T32.44 maps to Severe Skin Burn or Condition under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Severe Skin Burn or Condition under V24).
HCC Category Mapping
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 T32.44
For T32.44 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 T32.44 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
T32.44 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for corrosions involving 40-49% of body surface with 40-49% third degree corrosion. Chemical burn affecting 40-49% of the body surface, with the most severe burns (third degree) covering 40-49% of the affected area. T32.44 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (s00-t88), within the section covering burns and corrosions of multiple and unspecified body regions (t30-t32).
Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, T32.44 maps to Severe Skin Burn or Condition (HCC 385) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.350. Under the older V24 model, T32.44 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.517 — 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.
This code indicates extensive third-degree corrosion and represents a critical injury requiring immediate specialized treatment. Because T32.44 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 T32.44 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •This code indicates extensive third-degree corrosion and represents a critical injury requiring immediate specialized treatment
- •Verify documentation includes both the extent of body surface involvement and the depth of injury classification
Clinical Significance
Corrosions involving 40-49% of body surface area where all affected tissue (40-49%) is third-degree represents the most severe form of major chemical burn injury with extremely grave prognosis. This pattern indicates complete chemical-induced tissue destruction across the entire affected area, requiring immediate extraordinary life-sustaining interventions, specialized chemical burn protocols, and typically necessitating consideration of goals of care alongside aggressive treatment.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation that 40-49% of total body surface area has chemical corrosion
- ✓Clear documentation that all affected areas (40-49%) are third-degree
- ✓Identification of causative chemical and exposure circumstances
- ✓Comprehensive emergency decontamination and neutralization documentation
- ✓Assessment confirming complete tissue destruction through all skin layers
- ✓Evidence of immediate chemical burn center admission with maximum care capability
- ✓Documentation of systemic toxicity management and specialized antidotal therapy
- ✓Goals of care discussions and family conferences given grave prognosis