Skip to main content
MS-DRG 834 · MDC 17 · Medical

MS-DRG 834: Acute Leukemia 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 834

FY2027 relative weight
5.5080
Higher than 93% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
+0.3%
FY2026 weight 5.4900
Geometric mean LOS
9.7 days
Arithmetic mean 15.4 days
MDC
17
Myeloproliferative Diseases and Disorders, Poorly Differentiated Neoplasms
Severity level
with MCC (major complication or comorbidity)
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 834 is a medical group in MDC 17 (Myeloproliferative Diseases and Disorders, Poorly Differentiated Neoplasms) at the highest-severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 5.5080 with a geometric mean length of stay of 9.7 days and an arithmetic mean of 15.4. Its weight moved up 0.3% from FY2026 (5.4900). That weight is higher than 93% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 835, DRG 836) spans weights 1.1400 to 5.5080. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 33 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 834 the FY2027 relative weight is 5.5080 against 5.4900 in FY2026, a rise of 0.33%.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 834
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight5.49005.5080+0.0180
Geometric mean LOS (days)9.69.7+0.1
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)15.415.4+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 834 shares its base definition with 2 other MS-DRGs split by severity. The family's weights span 1.1400 to 5.5080, a 4.83× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 834
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
834Acute Leukemia with MCC5.50809.7
835Acute Leukemia with CC2.30304.6
836Acute Leukemia without CC/MCC1.14002.6

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Diagnosis: 33 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Principal Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 834 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
C9100Acute lymphoblastic leukemia not having achieved remission
C9101Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in remission
C9102Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in relapse
C9200Acute myeloblastic leukemia, not having achieved remission
C9201Acute myeloblastic leukemia, in remission
C9202Acute myeloblastic leukemia, in relapse
C9240Acute promyelocytic leukemia, not having achieved remission
C9241Acute promyelocytic leukemia, in remission
C9242Acute promyelocytic leukemia, in relapse
C9250Acute myelomonocytic leukemia, not having achieved remission
C9251Acute myelomonocytic leukemia, in remission
C9252Acute myelomonocytic leukemia, in relapse

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 834 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 834

What is MS-DRG 834?

MS-DRG 834 is "Acute Leukemia with MCC", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 17, Myeloproliferative Diseases and Disorders, Poorly Differentiated Neoplasms. 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 834?

The FY2027 relative weight is 5.5080 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 5.4900, a change of +0.3%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 834?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 9.7 days and an arithmetic mean of 15.4 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 834?

DRG 835 (Acute Leukemia with CC, weight 2.3030); DRG 836 (Acute Leukemia without CC/MCC, weight 1.1400). The family's weights range from 1.1400 to 5.5080, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 834?

DRG 834 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 834?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 33 principal diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal diagnosis list: C9100 (Acute lymphoblastic leukemia not having achieved remission); C9101 (Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in remission); C9102 (Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, in relapse); C9200 (Acute myeloblastic leukemia, not having achieved remission).

Is DRG 834 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 834 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.