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MS-DRG 595 · MDC 09 · Medical

MS-DRG 595: Major Skin Disorders with 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 595

FY2027 relative weight
2.0230
Higher than 63% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
-4.6%
FY2026 weight 2.1210
Geometric mean LOS
5.4 days
Arithmetic mean 7.5 days
MDC
09
Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast
Severity level
with MCC (major complication or comorbidity)
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 595 is a medical group in MDC 09 (Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast) at the highest-severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 2.0230 with a geometric mean length of stay of 5.4 days and an arithmetic mean of 7.5. Its weight moved down 4.6% from FY2026 (2.1210). That weight is higher than 63% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 596) spans weights 1.1070 to 2.0230. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 115 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 595 the FY2027 relative weight is 2.0230 against 2.1210 in FY2026, a fall of 4.62%, which exceeds the 2% threshold worth re-checking in contract models.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 595
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight2.12102.0230-0.0980
Geometric mean LOS (days)5.45.4+0.0
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)7.57.5+0.0
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 595 shares its base definition with 1 other MS-DRG split by severity. The family's weights span 1.1070 to 2.0230, a 1.83× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 595
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
595Major Skin Disorders with MCC2.02305.4
596Major Skin Disorders without MCC1.10703.5

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Diagnosis: 115 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Principal Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 595 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
B029Zoster without complications
C430Malignant melanoma of lip
C4320Malignant melanoma of unspecified ear and external auricular canal
C4321Malignant melanoma of right ear and external auricular canal
C4322Malignant melanoma of left ear and external auricular canal
C4330Malignant melanoma of unspecified part of face
C4331Malignant melanoma of nose
C4339Malignant melanoma of other parts of face
C434Malignant melanoma of scalp and neck
C4351Malignant melanoma of anal skin
C4352Malignant melanoma of skin of breast
C4359Malignant melanoma of other part of trunk

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 595 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 595

What is MS-DRG 595?

MS-DRG 595 is "Major Skin Disorders with MCC", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 09, Diseases and Disorders of the Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast. 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 595?

The FY2027 relative weight is 2.0230 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 2.1210, a change of -4.6%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 595?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 5.4 days and an arithmetic mean of 7.5 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 595?

DRG 596 (Major Skin Disorders without MCC, weight 1.1070). The family's weights range from 1.1070 to 2.0230, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 595?

DRG 595 requires at least one secondary diagnosis on the CMS Major Complication or Comorbidity list, documented as present and clinically addressed during the stay (monitored, evaluated, treated or extending the stay). Conditions such as acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis or acute kidney injury with specified cause qualify only when the attending's note states the diagnosis itself, not just the lab values. Recovery auditors downgrade this group to the CC or base level when the MCC rests on an unconfirmed query or a resolved historical condition, so the query response and the discharge summary must agree.

Which codes group to DRG 595?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 115 principal diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal diagnosis list: B029 (Zoster without complications); C430 (Malignant melanoma of lip); C4320 (Malignant melanoma of unspecified ear and external auricular canal); C4321 (Malignant melanoma of right ear and external auricular canal).

Is DRG 595 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 595 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.