MS-DRG v44.0 · MDC PRE: Pre-MDC
981 — Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated to Principal Diagnosis with MCC
- Relative weight
- 4.7412
- Geometric mean LOS
- 8.4 days
- Arithmetic mean LOS
- 11.9 days
- Type
- Surgical
About MS-DRG 981
MS-DRG 981, Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated to Principal Diagnosis with MCC, is a surgical DRG in Pre-MDC under MS-DRG version 44.0, which applies to inpatient discharges from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Its FY2027 relative weight is 4.7412, so Medicare's base payment for this DRG is about 4.74 times the average inpatient case, before hospital-specific adjustments. The geometric mean length of stay is 8.4 days and the arithmetic mean is 11.9 days.
It belongs to a 3-level severity family: DRG 981 (with MCC, weight 4.7412), DRG 982 (with CC, weight 2.4249) and DRG 983 (without CC/MCC, weight 1.6133). The highest-severity level carries 2.9 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.
ICD-10-CM codes that group to DRG 981 (0)
This DRG is assigned by procedure, not by a diagnosis list.
Common questions about DRG 981
What is the relative weight of DRG 981?
- 4.7412 for FY2027 (MS-DRG v44.0), from the IPPS final rule Table 5.
What is the average length of stay for DRG 981?
- The geometric mean length of stay is 8.4 days; the arithmetic mean is 11.9 days.
Is DRG 981 medical or surgical?
- DRG 981 is a surgical DRG.