New COVID-19 Medicare Severity DRG Grouper

March 24, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a corrected announcement regarding the Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) Grouper to recognize the new ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, U07.1, for COVID-19. The ICD-10 MS-DRG Grouper software package to accommodate this new code, Version 37.1 R1, is effective for discharges on or after April 1, 2020. If diagnosis code U07.1, COVID-19, is reported as a principal diagnosis, it will only exclude itself from acting as a Major Complications/Comorbidities (MCC) under the CC Exclusions List. Assignment of U07.1, COVID-19 can be found here.