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C96.2 ICD-10-CM Code: Malignant mast cell neoplasm

Compare with another code for C96.2Check this code on a claim

Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

Official instructions
4 Excludes1 · 4 Excludes2

What these terms mean →

Not billable · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too, and is marked with where it comes from.

Excludes1Not reported with this code unless documented as unrelated
  • indolent mastocytosis (D47.02)
  • mast cell leukemia (C94.30)
  • mastocytosis (congenital) (cutaneous) (Q82.2)
  • personal history of other malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissues (Z85.79) (from C96)
Excludes2from C81-C96Not included here; may be reported together
  • Kaposi's sarcoma of lymph nodes (C46.3)
  • secondary and unspecified neoplasm of lymph nodes (C77.-)
  • secondary neoplasm of bone marrow (C79.52)
  • secondary neoplasm of spleen (C78.89)

Where it sits Source: CMS/NCHS

Under:Chapter 2: NeoplasmsC00-C96 Malignant neoplasmsC81-C96 Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissueC96 Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue

Codes under C96.2 (4)

  • C96.20Malignant mast cell neoplasm, unspecifiedBillable
  • C96.21Aggressive systemic mastocytosisBillable
  • C96.22Mast cell sarcomaBillable
  • C96.29Other malignant mast cell neoplasmBillable

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for C96.2 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on C96.2 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Excludes1 — Not Coded Here

Conditions generally not reported together with this code (Excludes1) -- an error unless the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Source: inherited from C81-C96

Coder workflow for C96.2

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code C96.2

  1. C96.2 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

    ReviewC96.20, C96.21, C96.22, C96.29

    See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

  2. Confirm the documented site and behavior (this code’s block classifies malignant neoplasms), whether the site is primary or secondary, and whether the malignancy is current or a personal history: a previously excised malignancy with no further treatment and no evidence of disease is history, not current disease. Verify the site against the Table of Neoplasms. Neoplasm chapter guidelines (Guidelines I.C.2.a, I.C.2.d, I.C.2.m).

    See the Table of Neoplasms entries · Guide: Active cancer vs history of cancer →

  3. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with the code beneath C96.2. Excludes1 conditions are not reported together with this code unless the record shows they are unrelated (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

    See the official tabular notes

Choose the right path

  1. Does the documentation support one of the more specific codes beneath C96.2?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → C96.2 cannot be reported as written. Where the codes beneath it include an unspecified code, that code applies when the record goes no further; otherwise query for the missing detail.

    ReviewC96.20, C96.21, C96.22, C96.29

  2. Does the documentation support a condition named in C96.2’s Excludes1 note?
    Yes → Do not simply proceed: review the excluded code. Both are reported only when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated.
    No → Continue.

    ReviewD47.02, C94.30, Q82.2, Z85.79

Report the code beneath C96.2 that the documentation supports, not C96.2 itself. Then confirm that code is valid for the date of service on its own page.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement
Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).
Anatomical site
At the most specific level the record states; a site the classification separates cannot be assumed from a procedure or a measurement.
Behavior and current-versus-history status
Malignant, in situ, benign or uncertain; primary or secondary; current disease or personal history (Guidelines I.C.2.m).

Official instructions as workflow

  • Excludes1 — check before selecting C96.2(4 notes)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with C96.2: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareD47.02, C94.30, Q82.2, Z85.79

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.a

  • Excludes2 — not part of C96.2(4 notes)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in C96.2. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

    CompareC46.3, C77, C79.52, C78.89

    See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.b

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Documentation: Both the condition C96.2 describes and a condition named in its Excludes1 note are documented for the same encounter.

Coding question: Can both codes be reported?

Path: Review the Excludes1 note and the excluded code, and look for a provider statement on whether the two conditions are related.

Reason: Excludes1 means the two are not coded together; the exception is when the record shows the conditions are unrelated to each other (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

ReviewD47.02, C94.30, Q82.2, Z85.79

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Don’t confuse C96.2 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of C96.2 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

  • D47.02— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of indolent mastocytosis moves the case to D47.02; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: C96.2 vs D47.02 →

  • C94.30— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of mast cell leukemia moves the case to C94.30; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: C96.2 vs C94.30 →

  • Q82.2— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of mastocytosis (congenital) (cutaneous) moves the case to Q82.2; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: C96.2 vs Q82.2 →

  • Z85.79— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

    Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

    Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

    What moves you there: Documentation of personal history of other malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissues moves the case to Z85.79; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: C96.2 vs Z85.79 →

  • C96.9— Specificity relationship (Review)

    Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

    Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

    What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Malignant neoplasm of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue, unspecified” takes C96.9; specificity in the record moves it back here.

    Full comparison: C96.2 vs C96.9 →

  • C46.3— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of Kaposi's sarcoma of lymph nodes adds C46.3; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: C96.2 vs C46.3 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Malignant mast cell neoplasm is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (C96.2). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Verify Before Coding

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name C96.2 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 5 Excludes1 notes across 3 chapters: C76 — Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites (via C96.-), C77 — Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes (via C96.-), D47.0 — Mast cell neoplasms of uncertain behavior, D89.4 — Mast cell activation syndrome and related disorders, Q82.2 — Congenital cutaneous mastocytosis.

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Referenced by 2 Code First instructions across 2 chapters: N16 — Renal tubulo-interstitial disorders in diseases classified elsewhere, Z15.0 — Genetic susceptibility to malignant neoplasm (via C96.-).

Each of these codes carries a Code First note naming this condition — when that code is reported, THIS code is sequenced first, ahead of it.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):NEO058 — Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (default).

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Non-Hodgkin lymphoma).

+317 more

Contextual Map

Every relationship of C96.2 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run C96.2 with these 9 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Excludes1

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

Referenced by Code First instructions

Clinical classification (CCSR)

Nearest codes (12)

Change history (4)

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can C96.2 be billed directly?

No. C96.2 (Malignant mast cell neoplasm) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data
CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data
CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder-derived relationship
Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears
Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder editorial explanation
Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "C96.2 — Malignant mast cell neoplasm." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/c96.2-malignant-mast-cell-neoplasm

Change history

  • FY2018 — October 1, 2017
    Became a non-billable header
    FY2018 changes
  • FY2018 — October 1, 2017
    Description revised
    Malignant mast cell tumor → Malignant mast cell neoplasm
    FY2018 changes
  • FY2018 — October 1, 2017
    Short description revised
    Malignant mast cell tumor → Malignant mast cell neoplasm
    FY2018 changes
  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Malignant mast cell tumor

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to C96.2 in its code family, with their registry titles.

View all codes in the C96 family