MS-DRG v44.0 · MDC 04: Diseases and Disorders of the Respiratory System
188 — Pleural Effusion without CC/MCC
- Relative weight
- 0.6654
- Geometric mean LOS
- 2.1 days
- Arithmetic mean LOS
- 2.6 days
- Type
- Medical
About MS-DRG 188
MS-DRG 188, Pleural Effusion without CC/MCC, is a medical DRG in MDC 04 (Diseases and Disorders of the Respiratory System) under MS-DRG version 44.0, which applies to inpatient discharges from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Its FY2027 relative weight is 0.6654, so Medicare's base payment for this DRG is about 0.67 times the average inpatient case (below average), before hospital-specific adjustments. The geometric mean length of stay is 2.1 days and the arithmetic mean is 2.6 days.
It belongs to a 3-level severity family: DRG 186 (with MCC, weight 1.5835), DRG 187 (with CC, weight 1.0001) and DRG 188 (without CC/MCC, weight 0.6654). The highest-severity level carries 2.4 times the weight of the lowest, which is why documenting CC and MCC conditions matters.
It is subject to Medicare's post-acute care transfer policy, so payment can be reduced when a patient with a shorter-than-average stay is discharged to a skilled nursing facility, home health or another post-acute setting.
5 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are part of this DRG's grouping logic; they are listed below.
ICD-10-CM codes that group to DRG 188 (5)
Chapter 10: Diseases of the respiratory system
Common questions about DRG 188
What is the relative weight of DRG 188?
- 0.6654 for FY2027 (MS-DRG v44.0), from the IPPS final rule Table 5.
What is the average length of stay for DRG 188?
- The geometric mean length of stay is 2.1 days; the arithmetic mean is 2.6 days.
Is DRG 188 medical or surgical?
- DRG 188 is a medical DRG.