Skip to main content
MS-DRG 974 · MDC 25 · Medical

MS-DRG 974: HIV with Major Related Condition 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 974

FY2027 relative weight
3.0490
Higher than 77% of all MS-DRGs
Change vs FY2026
+5.7%
FY2026 weight 2.8860
Geometric mean LOS
6.7 days
Arithmetic mean 10.0 days
MDC
25
Assignment of Diagnosis Codes
Severity level
with MCC (major complication or comorbidity)
Transfer policy
Not a transfer DRG

TL;DR

MS-DRG 974 is a medical group in MDC 25 (Assignment of Diagnosis Codes) at the highest-severity level of its family. CMS assigns it a FY2027 relative weight of 3.0490 with a geometric mean length of stay of 6.7 days and an arithmetic mean of 10.0. Its weight moved up 5.7% from FY2026 (2.8860). That weight is higher than 77% of all medical and surgical MS-DRGs. Its CC/MCC family (DRG 975, DRG 976) spans weights 0.8120 to 3.0490. The v44 Definitions Manual assigns it through 1 principal or secondary diagnosis of hiv infection codes and 476 principal or secondary diagnosis of major related condition codes.

What changed from FY2026 to FY2027

CMS recalibrates every MS-DRG weight annually from the prior year's MedPAR claims. For DRG 974 the FY2027 relative weight is 3.0490 against 2.8860 in FY2026, a rise of 5.65%, which exceeds the 2% threshold worth re-checking in contract models.

FY2026 versus FY2027 payment factors for MS-DRG 974
MetricFY2026FY2027Change
Relative weight2.88603.0490+0.1630
Geometric mean LOS (days)6.66.7+0.1
Arithmetic mean LOS (days)9.410.0+0.6
Weights shown are the FY2027 final values after the 10% cap on year-over-year reductions where applicable.

CC and MCC family

DRG 974 shares its base definition with 2 other MS-DRGs split by severity. The family's weights span 0.8120 to 3.0490, a 3.75× spread, which is the payment effect of documenting qualifying complications and comorbidities.

MS-DRGs in the same base group as DRG 974
DRGTitleFY2027 weightGMLOS
974HIV with Major Related Condition with MCC3.04906.7
975HIV with Major Related Condition with CC1.32503.9
976HIV with Major Related Condition without CC/MCC0.81202.8

Grouper logic (v44 Definitions Manual)

Principal Or Secondary Diagnosis Of Hiv Infection: 1 ICD-10 code drive assignment to this group.

Principal Or Secondary Diagnosis Of Hiv Infection codes assigned to DRG 974 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
B20Human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease

Principal Or Secondary Diagnosis Of Major Related Condition: 476 ICD-10 codes drive assignment to this group; the first 12 are shown.

Principal Or Secondary Diagnosis Of Major Related Condition codes assigned to DRG 974 (sample)
ICD-10 codeDescription
A021Salmonella sepsis
A0220Localized salmonella infection, unspecified
A0221Salmonella meningitis
A0222Salmonella pneumonia
A0223Salmonella arthritis
A0224Salmonella osteomyelitis
A0225Salmonella pyelonephritis
A0229Salmonella with other localized infection
A028Other specified salmonella infections
A029Salmonella infection, unspecified
A073Isosporiasis
A150Tuberculosis of lung

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 974 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 974

What is MS-DRG 974?

MS-DRG 974 is "HIV with Major Related Condition with MCC", a medical Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group in MDC 25, 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 974?

The FY2027 relative weight is 3.0490 (IPPS final rule Table 5, effective October 1, 2026). In FY2026 it was 2.8860, a change of +5.7%.

What is the average length of stay for DRG 974?

CMS reports a geometric mean length of stay of 6.7 days and an arithmetic mean of 10.0 days for FY2027. The geometric mean is used for transfer-payment calculations.

Which DRGs are in the same CC/MCC family as 974?

DRG 975 (HIV with Major Related Condition with CC, weight 1.3250); DRG 976 (HIV with Major Related Condition without CC/MCC, weight 0.8120). The family's weights range from 0.8120 to 3.0490, so documented complications and comorbidities change payment materially.

What documentation supports the severity level of DRG 974?

DRG 974 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 974?

The v44 Definitions Manual lists 1 principal or secondary diagnosis of hiv infection codes and 476 principal or secondary diagnosis of major related condition codes for this group. Examples from the principal or secondary diagnosis of hiv infection list: B20 (Human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease).

Is DRG 974 a post-acute transfer DRG?

No. DRG 974 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.