Summary & Overview
Lymphoma and Leukemia with Major O.R. Procedures with CC: Inpatient Reimbursement Overview
DRG 821 encompasses lymphoma and leukemia cases with major operating room procedures and an accompanying Complication or Comorbidity, reflecting significant surgical and perioperative resource use. Correct assignment affects inpatient reimbursement because the Diagnosis-Related Group weights Medicare payments to hospitals based on clinical complexity and procedures performed.
DRG 821 Overview
DRG 821 covers hospital admissions for patients with lymphoma and leukemia who undergo major operating room procedures and have a Complication or Comorbidity. This group captures high-resource surgical oncology and hematologic procedures that increase inpatient costs and length of stay. It matters for Medicare payment because the Classification allocates higher reimbursement to account for operative complexity and the presence of additional clinical complications. Accurate coding of principal diagnosis, procedures, and Complication or Comorbidity is essential to assign this Diagnosis-Related Group correctly.
National Payment Rates
Across commercial payers the published rates range from about $20K (Blue Cross Blue Shield) up to $85K (Anthem), with a widest spread of $65K between the lowest and highest reported payer. The payer-level distribution in the table and the payer benchmark chart below illustrate median and interquartile variability by payer such as Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Use the table and chart below for detailed percentile values and distribution shapes.
The CMS 2023 data represent national Medicare fee-for-service inpatient payments published under the CMS Provider Utilization and Payment Data program. The table below shows average total payment ($23.5k), average submitted covered charges ($118.0k), average Medicare payment ($18.7k), and total discharges (829).
| Average Total Payment | Average Submitted Charges | Average Medicare Payment | Total Discharges |
|---|---|---|---|
| $24K | $120K | $19K | 830 |
Patient Population
This DRG’s population includes both Medicare-age and working-age patients, reflecting a mixed-age payer distribution rather than being confined to Medicare only. Medicare beneficiaries represent a substantial portion of inpatient utilization, but commercial payers also comprise a meaningful share of cases. Overall, the population skews toward a mixed payer mix with notable Medicare representation.