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MS-DRG 790 · MDC 15 · Medical

MS-DRG 790: Extreme Immaturity or Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Neonate

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 790

FY2027 relative weight
6.0140
Higher than 94% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
+1.2%
FY2026 weight 5.9440
Geometric mean LOS
17.9 days
Arithmetic mean 17.9 days
MDC
15
Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period
Severity level
single severity level
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 790 is a medical group in MDC 15 (Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period) at a single-severity group of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 6.0140 with a geometric mean length of stay of 17.9 days and an arithmetic mean of 17.9. Its weight moved up 1.2% from FY2026 (5.9440). That weight is higher than 94% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. CMS does not split this group by severity. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 12 principal or secondary diagnosis codes.

What changed from FY2026 to FY2027

CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 790 the FY2027 relative weight is 6.0140 against 5.9440 in FY2026, a rise of 1.18%.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 790
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight5.94406.0140+0.0700
Geometric mean LOS (days)17.917.9+0.0
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)17.917.9+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 790 stands alone: CMS does not split this base group by CC or MCC severity, so complication documentation does not move the assignment, although it still affects quality and risk-adjustment reporting.

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Or Secondary Diagnosis: 12 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group.

Principal Or Secondary Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 790 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
P0700Extremely low birth weight newborn, unspecified weight
P0701Extremely low birth weight newborn, less than 500 grams
P0702Extremely low birth weight newborn, 500-749 grams
P0703Extremely low birth weight newborn, 750-999 grams
P0720Extreme immaturity of newborn, unspecified weeks of gestation
P0721Extreme immaturity of newborn, gestational age less than 23 completed weeks
P0722Extreme immaturity of newborn, gestational age 23 completed weeks
P0723Extreme immaturity of newborn, gestational age 24 completed weeks
P0724Extreme immaturity of newborn, gestational age 25 completed weeks
P0725Extreme immaturity of newborn, gestational age 26 completed weeks
P0726Extreme immaturity of newborn, gestational age 27 completed weeks
P220Respiratory distress syndrome of newborn

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 has no severity split, review risk concentrates on medical-necessity of the admission itself and on the two-midnight benchmark. 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 790 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.

Explore QuickCodeExplore QuickScribeBook a demo

Frequently asked questions — DRG 790

What is MS-DRG 790?

MS-DRG 790 is "Extreme Immaturity or Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Neonate", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 15, Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period. 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 790?

The FY2027 relative weight is 6.0140 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 5.9440, a change of +1.2%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 790?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 17.9 days and an arithmetic mean of 17.9 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 790?

DRG 790 has no CC or MCC sibling, so secondary-diagnosis capture does not change the group or its weight. Review effort belongs instead on the principal diagnosis sequencing and the procedure codes that place the stay in this group, and on medical necessity of the inpatient admission itself under the two-midnight benchmark, which is where denials for single-severity groups concentrate.

Which codes group to DRG 790?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 12 principal or secondary diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal or secondary diagnosis list: P0700 (Extremely low birth weight newborn, unspecified weight); P0701 (Extremely low birth weight newborn, less than 500 grams); P0702 (Extremely low birth weight newborn, 500-749 grams); P0703 (Extremely low birth weight newborn, 750-999 grams).

Is DRG 790 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 790 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.