Is C08.9 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. C08.9 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does C08.9 sit in the tabular list?

Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00-C14).

What cannot be coded together with C08.9?

C08.9 carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above C08.9 (C08) and apply to it just the same.

C08.9

C08.9 — Malignant neoplasm of major salivary gland, unspecified

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

C08.9 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for malignant neoplasm of major salivary gland, unspecified. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

Malignant neoplasm of salivary gland (major) NOS

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above C08.9

These are not written on C08.9, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing C08.9 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on C08 — Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified major salivary glands

malignant neoplasms of specified minor salivary glands which are classified according to their anatomical location

Excludes2 inherited from the categories above C08.9

Also inherited, and the opposite of Excludes1: these conditions are not part of C08.9, but a patient can have both, so you may code both.

Written on C08 — Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified major salivary glands

malignant neoplasms of minor salivary glands NOS (C06.9)
malignant neoplasm of parotid gland (C07)

Risk adjustment

C08.9 risk-adjusts. Under the CMS-HCC V28 model it maps to this category:

HCC 21 Lymphoma and Other Cancers0.671 RAF

Coefficient shown for the Community Non-dual Aged segment. A higher HCC in the same hierarchy will suppress this one, so capturing it does not always add score.

Medicare coverage

C08.9 is named in 62 Medicare coverage policies — 62 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A52450Billing and Coding: Paclitaxel (e.g., Taxol®/Abraxane ™)
A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
A52480Oral Antiemetic Drugs (Replacement for Intravenous Antiemetics) - Policy Article

How C08.9 is indexed

Coders do not find codes by browsing the tabular list — they look them up in the alphabetic index, under the word the physician wrote. These are the index entries that lead here, so you can see which chart wordings map to C08.9.

Adenocarcinoma›basal cell›unspecified site
Adenoma›pleomorphic›carcinoma in›unspecified site

Code history

C08.9 has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the three most recent ICD-10-CM releases.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share C08. If C08.9 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about C08.9

Is C08.9 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. C08.9 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does C08.9 sit in the tabular list?: Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00-C14).
What cannot be coded together with C08.9?: C08.9 carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above C08.9 (C08) and apply to it just the same.