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MS-DRG 315 · MDC 05 · Medical

MS-DRG 315: Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with CC

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 315

FY2027 relative weight
0.9510
Higher than 19% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
-1.3%
FY2026 weight 0.9630
Geometric mean LOS
2.6 days
Arithmetic mean 3.3 days
MDC
05
Assignment of Diagnosis Codes
Severity level
with CC (complication or comorbidity)
Transfer policy
Post-acute transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 315 is a medical group in MDC 05 (Assignment of Diagnosis Codes) at the middle severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 0.9510 with a geometric mean length of stay of 2.6 days and an arithmetic mean of 3.3. Its weight moved down 1.3% from FY2026 (0.9630). That weight is higher than 19% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 314, DRG 316) spans weights 0.6680 to 2.0870. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 260 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 315 the FY2027 relative weight is 0.9510 against 0.9630 in FY2026, a fall of 1.25%.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 315
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight0.96300.9510-0.0120
Geometric mean LOS (days)2.62.6+0.0
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)3.43.3-0.1
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 315 shares its base definition with 2 other MS-DRGs split by severity. The family's weights span 0.6680 to 2.0870, a 3.12× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 315
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
314Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC2.08704.8
315Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with CC0.95102.6
316Other Circulatory System Diagnoses without CC/MCC0.66801.8

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Diagnosis: 260 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Principal Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 315 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
A3681Diphtheritic cardiomyopathy
A3950Meningococcal carditis, unspecified
A3952Meningococcal myocarditis
A3953Meningococcal pericarditis
A5200Cardiovascular syphilis, unspecified
A5204Syphilitic cerebral arteritis
A5205Other cerebrovascular syphilis
A5206Other syphilitic heart involvement
A5209Other cardiovascular syphilis
A5483Gonococcal heart infection
B3320Viral carditis, unspecified
B3322Viral myocarditis

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 315 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 315

What is MS-DRG 315?

MS-DRG 315 is "Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with CC", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 05, 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 315?

The FY2027 relative weight is 0.9510 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 0.9630, a change of -1.3%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 315?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 2.6 days and an arithmetic mean of 3.3 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 315?

DRG 314 (Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC, weight 2.0870); DRG 316 (Other Circulatory System Diagnoses without CC/MCC, weight 0.6680). The family's weights range from 0.6680 to 2.0870, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 315?

DRG 315 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 315?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 260 principal diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal diagnosis list: A3681 (Diphtheritic cardiomyopathy); A3950 (Meningococcal carditis, unspecified); A3952 (Meningococcal myocarditis); A3953 (Meningococcal pericarditis).

Is DRG 315 a post-acute transfer DRG?

Yes. CMS flags DRG 315 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.

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.