MS-DRG 520: BACK AND NECK PROCEDURES EXCEPT SPINAL FUSION WITHOUT CC/MCC

DRGSurgicalMDC 08

MS-DRG 520 is back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without cc/mcc, in MDC 08 (a surgical DRG), at the without-CC/MCC level. Its FY2027 relative weight is 1.5557, so a case here pays more than the average Medicare inpatient stay (weight 1.0), with a geometric mean length of stay of 2.10 days.

FY2027 payment factors

Relative weight: 1.5557
Geometric mean LOS: 2.10
Arithmetic mean LOS: 2.60
Post-acute transfer: Yes

This DRG is subject to the post-acute care transfer policy: a discharge to a qualifying setting below the mean length of stay is paid per diem rather than in full.

The severity splits

Same base DRG, split by whether a secondary diagnosis is a CC or MCC. The last column is the weight change from MS-DRG 520.

518	BACK AND NECK PROCEDURES EXCEPT SPINAL FUSION WITH MCC OR DISC DEVICE OR NEUROSTIMULATOR	3.7343	+2.1786
519	BACK AND NECK PROCEDURES EXCEPT SPINAL FUSION WITH CC	2.0358	+0.4801
520	BACK AND NECK PROCEDURES EXCEPT SPINAL FUSION WITHOUT CC/MCC	1.5557

All FY2027 MS-DRGs · MDC 08