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MS-DRG 148 · MDC 03 · Medical

MS-DRG 148: Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy without 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 148

FY2027 relative weight
0.8000
Higher than 11% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
+0.4%
FY2026 weight 0.7970
Geometric mean LOS
2.2 days
Arithmetic mean 3.0 days
MDC
03
Assignment of Diagnosis Codes
Severity level
without CC or MCC
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 148 is a medical group in MDC 03 (Assignment of Diagnosis Codes) at the base severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 0.8000 with a geometric mean length of stay of 2.2 days and an arithmetic mean of 3.0. Its weight moved up 0.4% from FY2026 (0.7970). That weight is higher than 11% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 146, DRG 147) spans weights 0.8000 to 2.1330. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 102 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 148 the FY2027 relative weight is 0.8000 against 0.7970 in FY2026, a rise of 0.38%.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 148
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight0.79700.8000+0.0030
Geometric mean LOS (days)1.92.2+0.3
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)2.43.0+0.6
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 148 shares its base definition with 2 other MS-DRGs split by severity. The family's weights span 0.8000 to 2.1330, a 2.67× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 148
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
146Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy with MCC2.13305.6
147Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy with CC1.30503.5
148Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy without CC/MCC0.80002.2

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Diagnosis: 102 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Principal Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 148 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
C000Malignant neoplasm of external upper lip
C001Malignant neoplasm of external lower lip
C002Malignant neoplasm of external lip, unspecified
C003Malignant neoplasm of upper lip, inner aspect
C004Malignant neoplasm of lower lip, inner aspect
C005Malignant neoplasm of lip, unspecified, inner aspect
C006Malignant neoplasm of commissure of lip, unspecified
C008Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of lip
C009Malignant neoplasm of lip, unspecified
C01Malignant neoplasm of base of tongue
C020Malignant neoplasm of dorsal surface of tongue
C021Malignant neoplasm of border of tongue

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 148 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.

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Frequently asked questions — DRG 148

What is MS-DRG 148?

MS-DRG 148 is "Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy without CC/MCC", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 03, 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 148?

The FY2027 relative weight is 0.8000 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 0.7970, a change of +0.4%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 148?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 2.2 days and an arithmetic mean of 3.0 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 148?

DRG 146 (Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy with MCC, weight 2.1330); DRG 147 (Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Malignancy with CC, weight 1.3050). The family's weights range from 0.8000 to 2.1330, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 148?

DRG 148 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 148?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 102 principal diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal diagnosis list: C000 (Malignant neoplasm of external upper lip); C001 (Malignant neoplasm of external lower lip); C002 (Malignant neoplasm of external lip, unspecified); C003 (Malignant neoplasm of upper lip, inner aspect).

Is DRG 148 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 148 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.