What is the primary purpose of Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) in CMS risk adjustment?

• A. To categorize diagnoses by severity levels to inform hospital performance.
• B. To group medical diagnoses into risk-adjusted categories that feed the CMS risk adjustment score used for payment and care planning.
• C. To adjust patient co-pays based on enrollment status.
• D. To determine eligibility for Medicare benefits.

Answer: (B)