HCC Buddy
Log in Start free trial
Menu
Built around HCC coder workflows

ICD-10-CM and HCC encoder. Your source, in view.

Search a code, check its HCC mapping and source edition, then save the reference with your review notes.

J44.9 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Try J44.9
7-day free trial, no card Cancel anytime
Encoder
E11.65 Search
E11.65 Billable
V28 · PY2026
HCC 38
V24 · PY2025
HCC 18
CNA ref
0.166
ehr-chart · coder view
HCC Buddy
J44.9
J44.9Billable
V28HCC 280
CNA ref0.319
Code card preview
FY2026 · APR UPDATE
J44.9 Billable

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified
Illustrative card. CNA coefficient references are not member RAF scores.

V28 · PY2026
HCC 280
CNA ref 0.319
V24 · PY2025
HCC 111
Historical reference
Other models
Not shown
Check source scope

Risk-adjustment coding shouldn't mean ten browser tabs.

Stop stitching the answer together across references. Buddy keeps it in one screen.

The old way
ICD-10 codebook, flipping pages
HCC crosswalk spreadsheet
Separate model coefficient tables
Documentation reference PDF
NPI registry, in another tab
Drug reference, in yet another
The HCC Buddy way
Keep the code path, HCC mapping and source context together.
Billable status and code path, instantly
Current V28 and historical V24 reference context
Source year and period shown with results
Encoder

Search ICD-10-CM and check the HCC mapping.

Search a code like E11.65 for billable status, the full code path and model references labeled by payment year.

E11.65 searchHCC valuesCode path
Explore the Encoder
Buddy giving a thumbs up by the code
Encoder preview · PY2026 V28 CNA references
Search
E11.65 Billable
Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia
V28 · PY2026
HCC 38
V24 · PY2025
HCC 18
CNA ref
0.166
CODE PATH E11E11.6E11.65
Ask Buddy

Ask the coding question without leaving the encoder.

Buddy answers code-aware questions with HCC context, documentation focus, and the next review step.

Code-awareMEAT promptsNext step
Explore Ask Buddy
Buddy at his laptop, ready to answer
Ask Buddy preview · PY2026 V28
Does E11.65 map for V28, and what should I check?
Buddy
Buddy
Maps to CMS-HCC V28 HCC 38.
Confirm the documented diagnosis and ICD-10-CM instructions.
Review the full documentation and applicable coding guidelines.
Code Book

Browse the ICD-10-CM tabular list the way coders read it.

Choose the edition, follow the Tabular instructions, and save a code reference to Notes or your team review queue.

Tabular listCode pathInline HCC
Explore the Code Book
Code Book preview · FY2026 April
J44 · Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chapter Diseases of the respiratory system (J00–J99)
J44 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
J44.0 with (acute) lower respiratory infection
J44.1 with (acute) exacerbation
J44.9 COPD, unspecified Billable HCC 280
Evidence Support

Separate mapped diagnoses from supported diagnoses.

Flag documentation questions for coder review. MEAT is a review mnemonic; the applicable coding guidelines still control.

MEATSOEGaps
Explore Evidence Support
Evidence Checker preview
De-identified note
Assessment referenced. A1c ordered. Medication plan discussed and continued.
Check Evidence
Monitor
Pending
Assess
Pending
Treat
Pending
Illustrative preview. Verify the documented diagnosis and coding rules.
Your coding assistant

Keep your coding question beside the source.

Ask Buddy uses the selected source edition for supported coding questions. Check the cited reference and any source limits before using an answer.

Code-aware answers tied to the code you are reviewing
Documentation questions and the next review step
Visible source limits when an answer cannot be verified
Included with Pro
Buddy ready to help
Ask Buddy ILLUSTRATIVE PREVIEW
Does J44.9 still map under V28, and what should I confirm?
Buddy
PY2026 V28: HCC 280. CNA coefficient reference 0.319, not a member RAF score.
Confirm the documented diagnosis and ICD-10-CM instructions.
Review the full documentation and applicable coding guidelines.
Source editions

Official references, with the source edition in view.

Check the published edition and effective period. New sources become available after their files and mappings pass verification.

Built from official CMS files

HCC mappings and code-level coefficient references are tied to registered CMS-HCC V28 files. The RAF Calculator requires complete member context and shows no score unless every source and calculation check passes.

Source context

Check the selected ICD-10-CM edition and model. Historical code lookup does not imply support for historical RAF scoring.

Simple, transparent pricing

Priced for the coder, not the demo.

No quote wall. See the price, start the trial.

MOST POPULAR
HCC Buddy Pro

Built for individual coders and auditors

Founding
$19.99/mo
Standard
$29.99/mo
Pro code lookups
Ask Buddy chat
V28 mapping and historical V24 references
Evidence Checker
MEAT guidance
Chrome search

7-day free trial, no card required. Cancel anytime.

Team reference review

Keep source references and review decisions together.

Team reference workspaces
Member and admin roles
Review queue and revision history
Saved source editions
Peer review with recorded decisions
Exportable review packets
Talk to Sales

Questions? We have answers.

HCC stands for Hierarchical Condition Category. CMS uses HCC risk adjustment to estimate expected medical cost for Medicare Advantage members based on the diagnoses a provider reports during the year (CMS Risk Adjustment program: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-plans/medicareadvtgspecratestats/risk-adjustors).
V24 is the 2020 CMS-HCC model with 86 payment HCCs; V28 is the 2024 model with 115 payment HCCs. For CY2026 non-PACE Medicare Advantage, CMS completed the V28 phase-in and uses 100% V28. PACE has a separate model blend. HCC Buddy shows current PY2026 V28 mapping and historical PY2025 V24 references separately. Sources: CMS December 2024 Report to Congress, Table 2-2 (https://www.cms.gov/files/document/report-congress-risk-adjustment-medicare-advantage-december-2024.pdf#page=29); CMS 2026 Rate Announcement (https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-advantage-part-d-rate-announcement).
A member RAF score combines demographic factors with applicable HCC coefficients after model hierarchy and cleanup rules, plus qualifying interaction terms. HCC Buddy's RAF Calculator supports seven continuing-enrollee segments in CMS-HCC V28 for Payment Year 2026 and requires complete member context. It shows no score unless the required source and calculation checks pass. Code-level coefficients are references, not member totals, and historical PY2025 V24 stays reference-only. PACE, new-enrollee, HHS and ESRD scoring are not supported. Source: CMS Risk Adjustment model software (https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/medicare-advantage-rates-statistics/risk-adjustment).
Evidence Checker flags documentation gaps and conflicting wording for coder review. MEAT (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, Treat) is a review mnemonic, not a substitute for the applicable ICD-10-CM guidelines. A flagged or unflagged result does not establish a diagnosis, reportability or audit acceptance.
For the FY2026 April edition, the published HCC Buddy reference includes 74,719 billable ICD-10-CM codes. Of those, 8,016 have a PY2026 V28 mapping, including six codes with a mapping condition. These are code counts, not HCC category counts or member RAF scores. Check the selected edition and source notes on the ICD-10 to HCC mapping page (https://hccbuddy.com/icd10-to-hcc).
Yes. Start Pro and get 7 days to try the full workflow, no card required. Pro is $19.99/month for founding members during the founding window, then $29.99/month after it closes. The annual plan is $199.99/year.
No. HCC Buddy is built for deidentified coding questions, ICD-10-CM codes, and clinical concepts. Do not paste member identifiers, dates of birth, full chart notes, or other patient identifiers into Ask Buddy.

Ready for faster HCC review?

Search codes with HCC values, model context, and MEAT prompts in one place.

Coder references

HCC coding paths coders use every day

Open a source in the Code Book, keep your review in Notes, or share a reference with your team. Coding guides and CMS Watch updates are here too.

CMS Watch

Latest risk adjustment updates

All CMS Watch news
Policy Sep 8, 2026 AI scribe drafts can read more certain than the visit was, a 2026 study finds Clinicians revising ambient-AI note drafts more often added hedging than removed it, a 2026 preprint reports, so AI text can overstate diagnostic certainty. In outpatient risk adjustment a probable or suspected diagnosis cannot be coded, so certainty in an AI-drafted note is not the same as a confirmed one. CMS Watch Sep 8, 2026 CMS CR 14574: Medicare payer-only claim codes update takes effect September 28, 2026 Change Request 14574 / Transmittal 13904 updates Pub 100-04 chapter 1, section 190 with newly created and utilized payer-only codes. Providers shall not submit those codes on claim forms. Effective and implementation date is September 28, 2026. Policy Sep 7, 2026 In a coding study, AI hit 91.5% on CPT but 23.9% on ICD-10, with laterality the top error Public large language models coded 90 hand-surgery charts at 91.5% correct on CPT but only 23.9% on ICD-10, and the authors report the single most common ICD-10 error was dropped or wrong laterality. Left, right, or bilateral is a specificity call the Official Guidelines still put on the coder.
7-day free trial, no card · Cancel anytime · $19.99/month founding price Start trial