Key facts for DRG 029
- FY2027 relative weight
- 3.5170
- Higher than 83% of all MS-DRGs
- Change vs FY2026
- +3.1%
- FY2026 weight 3.4120
- Geometric mean LOS
- 4.7 days
- Arithmetic mean 6.2 days
- MDC
- 01
- Assignment of Diagnosis Codes
- Severity level
- with CC (complication or comorbidity)
- Transfer policy
- Post-acute transfer DRG
- Special-pay DRG
TL;DR
MS-DRG 029 is a surgical group in MDC 01 (Assignment of Diagnosis Codes) at the middle severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 3.5170 with a geometric mean length of stay of 4.7 days and an arithmetic mean of 6.2. Its weight moved up 3.1% from FY2026 (3.4120). That weight is higher than 83% of all surgical and medical MS-DRGs. CMS does not split this group by severity. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 1118 operating room procedures codes and 144 spinal neurostimulators codes.
What changed from FY2026 to FY2027
CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 029 the FY2027 relative weight is 3.5170 against 3.4120 in FY2026, a rise of 3.08%, which exceeds the 2% threshold worth re-checking in contract models.
| Metric | FY2026 | FY2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative weight | 3.4120 | 3.5170 | +0.1050 |
| Geometric mean LOS (days) | 4.7 | 4.7 | +0.0 |
| Arithmetic mean LOS (days) | 6.2 | 6.2 | +0.0 |
CC and MCC family
DRG 029 stands alone: CMS does not split this base group by CC or MCC severity, so complication documentation does not move the assignment, although it still affects quality and risk-adjustment reporting.
Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)
Operating Room Procedures: 1118 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.
| ICD-10 code | Description |
|---|---|
| 001U072 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Atrium with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U074 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Pleural Cavity with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U076 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Peritoneal Cavity with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U077 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Urinary Tract with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U079 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Fallopian Tube with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0J2 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Atrium with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0J4 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Pleural Cavity with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0J6 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Peritoneal Cavity with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0J7 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Urinary Tract with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0J9 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Fallopian Tube with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0K2 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Atrium with Nonautologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
| 001U0K4 | Bypass Spinal Canal to Pleural Cavity with Nonautologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach |
Spinal Neurostimulators: 144 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.
| ICD-10 code | Description |
|---|---|
| 0JH60BZ | Insertion of Single Array Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60BZ | Insertion of Single Array Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60BZ | Insertion of Single Array Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60BZ | Insertion of Single Array Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60BZ | Insertion of Single Array Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60BZ | Insertion of Single Array Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60CZ | Insertion of Single Array Rechargeable Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60CZ | Insertion of Single Array Rechargeable Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60CZ | Insertion of Single Array Rechargeable Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60CZ | Insertion of Single Array Rechargeable Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60CZ | Insertion of Single Array Rechargeable Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach |
| 0JH60CZ | Insertion of Single Array Rechargeable Stimulator Generator into Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, 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 01 with a lower weight. Because this family has no severity split, review risk concentrates on medical-necessity of the admission itself and on the two-midnight benchmark. 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 029 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.
Frequently asked questions — DRG 029
What is MS-DRG 029?
MS-DRG 029 is "Spinal Procedures with CC or Spinal Neurostimulators", a surgical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 01, Assignment of Diagnosis Codes. 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 029?
The FY2027 relative weight is 3.5170 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 3.4120, a change of +3.1%.
What is the average length of stay for DRG 029?
CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 4.7 days and an arithmetic mean of 6.2 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.
What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 029?
DRG 029 is reached when the stay carries a secondary diagnosis from the CMS Complication or Comorbidity list but none from the MCC list. Common CC captures include chronic kidney disease stage 3 and above, uncontrolled diabetes with manifestations, malnutrition of specified severity and heart failure of a stated type. Each must be documented by the treating clinician and show clinical relevance in the record; a condition listed only in the problem list without assessment is the most frequent reason a CC is removed on audit and the stay drops to the base DRG.
Which codes group to DRG 029?
The v44 Definitions Manual lists 1118 operating room procedures codes and 144 spinal neurostimulators codes for this group. Examples from the operating room procedures list: 001U072 (Bypass Spinal Canal to Atrium with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach); 001U074 (Bypass Spinal Canal to Pleural Cavity with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach); 001U076 (Bypass Spinal Canal to Peritoneal Cavity with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach); 001U077 (Bypass Spinal Canal to Urinary Tract with Autologous Tissue Substitute, Open Approach).
Is DRG 029 a post-acute transfer DRG?
Yes. CMS flags DRG 029 under the post-acute care transfer policy, so a discharge to a qualifying post-acute setting before the geometric mean length of stay is paid a per-diem amount rather than the full DRG payment. It is also a special-pay DRG.
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.
- IPPS FY2027 Final Rule Table 5 (CMS-1849-F)Version v44 FY2027 · effective 2026-10-01 · file CMS-1849-F Table 5.txtSHA-256 01003dd571c1e2f5…
- IPPS FY2026 Final Rule Table 5 (CMS-1833-F)Version v43 FY2026 · effective 2025-10-01 · file CMS-1833-F Table 5.txtSHA-256 bf8c390d14b3cd3e…
- ICD-10 MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44 (text)Version v44 · effective 2026-10-01 · file fy2027-fr-icd10-ms-drg-definitions-manual-files-v44.zipSHA-256 ae4f6c11727fe91f…
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.