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C38.8

C38.8Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of heart, mediastinum and pleura

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM

C38.8 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of heart, mediastinum and pleura. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above C38.8

These are not written on C38.8, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing C38.8 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on C38 Malignant neoplasm of heart, mediastinum and pleura

  • mesothelioma (C45.-)

Risk adjustment

C38.8 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

C38.8 is named in 63 Medicare coverage policies 63 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

  • A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
  • A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
  • A52479Oral Anticancer Drugs - Policy Article
  • A52480Oral Antiemetic Drugs (Replacement for Intravenous Antiemetics) - Policy Article

Code history

C38.8 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 C38. If C38.8 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about C38.8

Is C38.8 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
Yes. C38.8 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does C38.8 sit in the tabular list?
Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (C30-C39).
What cannot be coded together with C38.8?
C38.8 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 C38.8 (C38) and apply to it just the same.
ICD-10-CMFY2026-Apr· effective April 1, 2026

Loaded directly from the CMS/NCHS ICD-10-CM public-domain release — see data sources and our editorial policy. If this page disagrees with the CMS tabular list, this page is wrong. Reference information for professional coders; not medical or billing advice.