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MS-DRG 075 · MDC 01 · Medical

MS-DRG 075: Viral Meningitis with CC/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 075

FY2027 relative weight
1.7700
Higher than 55% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
-7.7%
FY2026 weight 1.9170
Geometric mean LOS
5.5 days
Arithmetic mean 7.0 days
MDC
01
Assignment of Diagnosis Codes
Severity level
with CC (complication or comorbidity)
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 075 is a medical group in MDC 01 (Assignment of Diagnosis Codes) at the middle severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 1.7700 with a geometric mean length of stay of 5.5 days and an arithmetic mean of 7.0. Its weight moved down 7.7% from FY2026 (1.9170). That weight is higher than 55% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 076) spans weights 0.8670 to 1.7700. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 10 principal diagnosis codes.

What changed from FY2026 to FY2027

CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 075 the FY2027 relative weight is 1.7700 against 1.9170 in FY2026, a fall of 7.67%, which exceeds the 2% threshold worth re-checking in contract models.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 075
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight1.91701.7700-0.1470
Geometric mean LOS (days)5.55.5+0.0
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)7.27.0-0.2
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 075 shares its base definition with 1 other MS-DRG split by severity. The family's weights span 0.8670 to 1.7700, a 2.04× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 075
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
075Viral Meningitis with CC/MCC1.77005.5
076Viral Meningitis without CC/MCC0.86702.8

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Diagnosis: 10 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group.

Principal Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 075 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
A870Enteroviral meningitis
A871Adenoviral meningitis
A872Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
A878Other viral meningitis
A879Viral meningitis, unspecified
A880Enteroviral exanthematous fever [Boston exanthem]
B003Herpesviral meningitis
B021Zoster meningitis
B261Mumps meningitis
G032Benign recurrent meningitis [Mollaret]

Documentation and denial exposure

As a medical DRG, assignment depends on the principal diagnosis sequenced from the attending's documentation; a secondary condition sequenced first, or a symptom code in place of the confirmed diagnosis, changes the MDC or the DRG. 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 075 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 075

What is MS-DRG 075?

MS-DRG 075 is "Viral Meningitis with CC/MCC", a medical 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 075?

The FY2027 relative weight is 1.7700 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 1.9170, a change of -7.7%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 075?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 5.5 days and an arithmetic mean of 7.0 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 075?

DRG 076 (Viral Meningitis without CC/MCC, weight 0.8670). The family's weights range from 0.8670 to 1.7700, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 075?

DRG 075 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 075?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 10 principal diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal diagnosis list: A870 (Enteroviral meningitis); A871 (Adenoviral meningitis); A872 (Lymphocytic choriomeningitis); A878 (Other viral meningitis).

Is DRG 075 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 075 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.