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MS-DRG 871 · MDC 18 · Medical

MS-DRG 871: Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours 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 871

FY2027 relative weight
1.9320
Higher than 60% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
-0.5%
FY2026 weight 1.9420
Geometric mean LOS
4.8 days
Arithmetic mean 6.3 days
MDC
18
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites
Severity level
with MCC (major complication or comorbidity)
Transfer policy
Post-acute transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 871 is a medical group in MDC 18 (Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites) at the highest-severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 1.9320 with a geometric mean length of stay of 4.8 days and an arithmetic mean of 6.3. Its weight moved down 0.5% from FY2026 (1.9420). That weight is higher than 60% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 872) spans weights 1.0070 to 1.9320. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 40 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 871 the FY2027 relative weight is 1.9320 against 1.9420 in FY2026, a fall of 0.51%.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 871
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight1.94201.9320-0.0100
Geometric mean LOS (days)4.84.8+0.0
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)6.46.3-0.1
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 871 shares its base definition with 1 other MS-DRG split by severity. The family's weights span 1.0070 to 1.9320, a 1.92× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 871
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
871Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC1.93204.8
872Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC1.00703.4

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Diagnosis: 40 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Principal Diagnosis codes assigned to DRG 871 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
A021Salmonella sepsis
A207Septicemic plague
A227Anthrax sepsis
A267Erysipelothrix sepsis
A327Listerial sepsis
A391Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
A392Acute meningococcemia
A393Chronic meningococcemia
A394Meningococcemia, unspecified
A3989Other meningococcal infections
A399Meningococcal infection, unspecified
A400Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A

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 871 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 871

What is MS-DRG 871?

MS-DRG 871 is "Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 18, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites. 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 871?

The FY2027 relative weight is 1.9320 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 1.9420, a change of -0.5%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 871?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 4.8 days and an arithmetic mean of 6.3 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 871?

DRG 872 (Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC, weight 1.0070). The family's weights range from 1.0070 to 1.9320, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 871?

DRG 871 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 871?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 40 principal diagnosis codes for this group. Examples from the principal diagnosis list: A021 (Salmonella sepsis); A207 (Septicemic plague); A227 (Anthrax sepsis); A267 (Erysipelothrix sepsis).

Is DRG 871 a post-acute transfer DRG?

Yes. CMS flags DRG 871 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.