Skip to main content
MS-DRG 903 · MDC 21 · Surgical

MS-DRG 903: Wound Debridements for Injuries without CC/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 903

FY2027 relative weight
1.1240
Higher than 29% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
-3.9%
FY2026 weight 1.1700
Geometric mean LOS
2.4 days
Arithmetic mean 3.1 days
MDC
21
Assignment of Diagnosis Codes
Severity level
without CC or MCC
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 903 is a surgical group in MDC 21 (Assignment of Diagnosis Codes) at the base severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 1.1240 with a geometric mean length of stay of 2.4 days and an arithmetic mean of 3.1. Its weight moved down 3.9% from FY2026 (1.1700). That weight is higher than 29% of all surgical and medical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 901, DRG 902) spans weights 1.1240 to 4.4740. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 20 operating room procedures codes.

What changed from FY2026 to FY2027

CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 903 the FY2027 relative weight is 1.1240 against 1.1700 in FY2026, a fall of 3.93%, which exceeds the 2% threshold worth re-checking in contract models.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 903
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight1.17001.1240-0.0460
Geometric mean LOS (days)2.62.4-0.2
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)3.33.1-0.2
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 903 shares its base definition with 2 other MS-DRGs split by severity. The family's weights span 1.1240 to 4.4740, a 3.98× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 903
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
901Wound Debridements for Injuries with MCC4.47409.5
902Wound Debridements for Injuries with CC1.89404.5
903Wound Debridements for Injuries without CC/MCC1.12402.4

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Operating Room Procedures: 20 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Operating Room Procedures codes assigned to DRG 903 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
0JB00ZZExcision of Scalp Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB10ZZExcision of Face Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB40ZZExcision of Right Neck Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB50ZZExcision of Left Neck Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB60ZZExcision of Chest Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB70ZZExcision of Back Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB80ZZExcision of Abdomen Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JB90ZZExcision of Buttock Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JBB0ZZExcision of Perineum Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JBC0ZZExcision of Pelvic Region Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JBD0ZZExcision of Right Upper Arm Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach
0JBF0ZZExcision of Left Upper Arm Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, 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 21 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 903 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 903

What is MS-DRG 903?

MS-DRG 903 is "Wound Debridements for Injuries without CC/MCC", a surgical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 21, Assignment of Diagnosis Codes. 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 903?

The FY2027 relative weight is 1.1240 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 1.1700, a change of -3.9%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 903?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 2.4 days and an arithmetic mean of 3.1 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 903?

DRG 901 (Wound Debridements for Injuries with MCC, weight 4.4740); DRG 902 (Wound Debridements for Injuries with CC, weight 1.8940). The family's weights range from 1.1240 to 4.4740, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 903?

DRG 903 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 903?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 20 operating room procedures codes for this group. Examples from the operating room procedures list: 0JB00ZZ (Excision of Scalp Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach); 0JB10ZZ (Excision of Face Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach); 0JB40ZZ (Excision of Right Neck Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach); 0JB50ZZ (Excision of Left Neck Subcutaneous Tissue and Fascia, Open Approach).

Is DRG 903 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 903 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.