Skip to main content
MS-DRG 002 · MDC PRE · Surgical

MS-DRG 002: Heart Transplant or Implant of Heart Assist System without MCC

Reviewed by QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Last reviewed

Data effective
Data currency: IPPS Table 5 FY2027 final rule (effective October 1, 2026); Definitions Manual v44 (effective October 1, 2026). Next CMS release: April 1, 2027 (v44.1 mid-year update), then the FY2028 final rule in August 2027.

Key facts for DRG 002

FY2027 relative weight
11.0040
Higher than 99% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
-2.9%
FY2026 weight 11.3320
Geometric mean LOS
9.4 days
Arithmetic mean 15.4 days
MDC
PRE
Pre-MDC (transplants, tracheostomy, ECMO)
Severity level
without MCC
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 002 is a surgical group in MDC PRE (Pre-MDC (transplants, tracheostomy, ECMO)) at the base severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 11.0040 with a geometric mean length of stay of 9.4 days and an arithmetic mean of 15.4. Its weight moved down 2.9% from FY2026 (11.3320). That weight is higher than 99% of all surgical and medical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 001) spans weights 11.0040 to 28.0830. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 4 operating room procedures codes and 56 implant of heart assist system codes.

What changed from FY2026 to FY2027

CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 002 the FY2027 relative weight is 11.0040 against 11.3320 in FY2026, a fall of 2.89%, which exceeds the 2% threshold worth re-checking in contract models.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 002
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight11.332011.0040-0.3280
Geometric mean LOS (days)8.59.4+0.9
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)14.015.4+1.4
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 002 shares its base definition with 1 other MS-DRG split by severity. The family's weights span 11.0040 to 28.0830, a 2.55× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 002
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
001Heart Transplant or Implant of Heart Assist System with MCC28.083024.5
002Heart Transplant or Implant of Heart Assist System without MCC11.00409.4

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Operating Room Procedures: 4 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group.

Operating Room Procedures codes assigned to DRG 002 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
02YA0Z0Transplantation of Heart, Allogeneic, Open Approach
02YA0Z1Transplantation of Heart, Syngeneic, Open Approach
02YA0Z2Transplantation of Heart, Zooplastic, Open Approach
02RK0JZReplacement of Right Ventricle with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach

Implant Of Heart Assist System: 56 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Implant Of Heart Assist System codes assigned to DRG 002 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
02HA0QZInsertion of Implantable Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA0RZInsertion of Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA3QZInsertion of Implantable Heart Assist System into Heart, Percutaneous Approach
02HA4QZInsertion of Implantable Heart Assist System into Heart, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach
02RA0LZReplacement of Heart with Biologic and Synthetic Substitute, Autoregulated Electrohydraulic, Open Approach
02RA0MZReplacement of Heart with Synthetic Substitute, Pneumatic, Open Approach
02HA0RSInsertion of Biventricular Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA0RSInsertion of Biventricular Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA0RSInsertion of Biventricular Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA0RZInsertion of Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA0RZInsertion of Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach
02HA0RZInsertion of Short-term External Heart Assist System into Heart, Open Approach

Documentation and denial exposure

As a surgical DRG, assignment depends on a qualifying operating-room procedure being coded from the operative report; a missing or non-OR procedure code drops the stay into a medical DRG in MDC PRE with a lower weight. Because this family splits by severity, auditors target CC and MCC capture: each secondary diagnosis must be documented as present, monitored, evaluated or treated during the stay to survive a DRG-validation review. Typical inpatient denial codes for this group: CARC 16 (claim lacks information needed to group the stay), CARC 50 (the admission or procedure is judged not medically necessary), CARC 97 (a service is bundled into the DRG payment).

How QuickIntell uses DRG 002 data

QuickCode groups inpatient encounters against the current v44 logic, flags CC and MCC candidates that lack supporting documentation, and shows the weight difference across the family before the claim drops. QuickScribe captures the attending's language that supports severity, and QuickRCM works DRG-validation denials with the grouper evidence attached.

Explore QuickCodeExplore QuickScribeBook a demo

Frequently asked questions — DRG 002

What is MS-DRG 002?

MS-DRG 002 is "Heart Transplant or Implant of Heart Assist System without MCC", a surgical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC PRE, Pre-MDC (transplants, tracheostomy, ECMO). Medicare pays inpatient stays grouped here at the hospital's base rate multiplied by the DRG relative weight.

What is the FY2027 relative weight for DRG 002?

The FY2027 relative weight is 11.0040 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 11.3320, a change of -2.9%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 002?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 9.4 days and an arithmetic mean of 15.4 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 002?

DRG 001 (Heart Transplant or Implant of Heart Assist System with MCC, weight 28.0830). The family's weights range from 11.0040 to 28.0830, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 002?

DRG 002 is the base-severity assignment: no secondary diagnosis on the CC or MCC lists was coded, or the only ones present are excluded for this principal diagnosis. Revenue-integrity review here looks for undercapture, meaning conditions treated during the stay (electrolyte disorders, specified anemia, acute blood loss, pressure injuries present on admission) that were never documented to the specificity the lists require. A compliant query to the attending, not a coder assumption, is the only way to move a stay to the CC or MCC sibling.

Which codes group to DRG 002?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 4 operating room procedures codes and 56 implant of heart assist system codes for this group. Examples from the operating room procedures list: 02YA0Z0 (Transplantation of Heart, Allogeneic, Open Approach); 02YA0Z1 (Transplantation of Heart, Syngeneic, Open Approach); 02YA0Z2 (Transplantation of Heart, Zooplastic, Open Approach); 02RK0JZ (Replacement of Right Ventricle with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach).

Is DRG 002 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 002 is not on the FY2027 post-acute care transfer list, so the transfer per-diem policy does not apply to it.

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-01. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions.

Disclaimer

This page is an operational reference compiled from the CMS IPPS FY2027 final rule (Table 5) and the v44 ICD-10 MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Relative weights are national factors; actual payment depends on each hospital's wage-adjusted base rate, add-ons, outliers and transfer adjustments. Nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice; verify grouping against your encoder and the published CMS files.