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MS-DRG 470 · MDC 08 · Surgical

MS-DRG 470: Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity 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 470

FY2027 relative weight
1.9560
Higher than 61% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
+1.4%
FY2026 weight 1.9290
Geometric mean LOS
2.0 days
Arithmetic mean 2.3 days
MDC
08
Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue
Severity level
without MCC
Transfer policy
Post-acute transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 470 is a surgical group in MDC 08 (Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue) at the base severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 1.9560 with a geometric mean length of stay of 2.0 days and an arithmetic mean of 2.3. Its weight moved up 1.4% from FY2026 (1.9290). That weight is higher than 61% of all surgical and medical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 469) spans weights 1.9560 to 3.1080. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 178 operating room procedures codes and 6 total ankle replacement codes.

What changed from FY2026 to FY2027

CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 470 the FY2027 relative weight is 1.9560 against 1.9290 in FY2026, a rise of 1.40%.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 470
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight1.92901.9560+0.0270
Geometric mean LOS (days)1.92.0+0.1
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)2.22.3+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 470 shares its base definition with 1 other MS-DRG split by severity. The family's weights span 1.9560 to 3.1080, a 1.59× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 470
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
469Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity with MCC or Total Ankle Replacement3.10803.3
470Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC1.95602.0

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Operating Room Procedures: 178 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Operating Room Procedures codes assigned to DRG 470 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
0SR9019Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach
0SR901AReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach
0SR901ZReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach
0SR9029Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach
0SR902AReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach
0SR902ZReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach
0SR9039Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Ceramic Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach
0SR903AReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Ceramic Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach
0SR903ZReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Ceramic Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach
0SR9049Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Ceramic on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach
0SR904AReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Ceramic on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach
0SR904ZReplacement of Right Hip Joint with Ceramic on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach

Total Ankle Replacement: 6 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group.

Total Ankle Replacement codes assigned to DRG 470 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
0SRF0J9Replacement of Right Ankle Joint with Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach
0SRF0JAReplacement of Right Ankle Joint with Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach
0SRF0JZReplacement of Right Ankle Joint with Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach
0SRG0J9Replacement of Left Ankle Joint with Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach
0SRG0JAReplacement of Left Ankle Joint with Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach
0SRG0JZReplacement of Left Ankle Joint with Synthetic Substitute, 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 08 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 470 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 470

What is MS-DRG 470?

MS-DRG 470 is "Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC", a surgical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 08, Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue. 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 470?

The FY2027 relative weight is 1.9560 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 1.9290, a change of +1.4%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 470?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 2.0 days and an arithmetic mean of 2.3 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 470?

DRG 469 (Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity with MCC or Total Ankle Replacement, weight 3.1080). The family's weights range from 1.9560 to 3.1080, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 470?

DRG 470 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 470?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 178 operating room procedures codes and 6 total ankle replacement codes for this group. Examples from the operating room procedures list: 0SR9019 (Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach); 0SR901A (Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal Synthetic Substitute, Uncemented, Open Approach); 0SR901Z (Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal Synthetic Substitute, Open Approach); 0SR9029 (Replacement of Right Hip Joint with Metal on Polyethylene Synthetic Substitute, Cemented, Open Approach).

Is DRG 470 a post-acute transfer DRG?

Yes. CMS flags DRG 470 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.