MS-DRG 359: Percutaneous coronary atherectomy with intraluminal device with MCC
MS-DRG 359 is the inpatient billing code for percutaneous coronary atherectomy with intraluminal device with mcc. It is one of 772 codes Medicare uses to classify a hospital stay by diagnosis, procedures and severity.
What this code actually classifies
| Official title | PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY ATHERECTOMY WITH INTRALUMINAL DEVICE WITH MCC |
|---|---|
| Code | MS-DRG 359 |
| Body system (MDC 05) | Circulatory system |
| Type | Surgical — an operating room procedure was billed |
| Relative weight (FY 2026) | 3.4386 — Medicare's measure of how resource-intensive this stay is compared with an average stay of 1.0 |
| Typical length of stay | 3.8 days (geometric mean), 5.3 days (arithmetic mean) |
"With MCC" means a major complication or comorbidity was recorded; "with CC" a complication or comorbidity; "without CC/MCC" neither. These modifiers move a stay into a higher-paying group, which is exactly why it is worth checking that the complications on your bill match what actually happened during your stay.
Source: CMS FY 2026 IPPS Final Rule (CMS-1833-F), Table 5. MS-DRG definitions are published by CMS and are in the public domain.
How to use this when disputing your bill
- Check the code matches your stay. Ask for a fully itemized statement and confirm the diagnosis, the procedures and any recorded complications are things that actually happened.
- Question the modifiers. If your bill says "with MCC" but no major complication occurred, that single word may be worth thousands. Ask for a coding review against the medical record.
- Anchor your request in the paid figure, not the billed figure. "Federal Medicare data shows an average payment of a small fraction of the billed amount for MS-DRG 359" is a concrete, verifiable benchmark a billing office can act on.
- Ask about financial assistance separately. A coding dispute and a financial assistance application are different requests, and you can make both. Look up what your hospital is required to offer.
Frequently asked questions
What does MS-DRG 359 mean on my hospital bill?
It means the hospital classified your inpatient stay as "Percutaneous coronary atherectomy with intraluminal device with MCC". MS-DRGs group a stay by diagnosis, the procedures performed and the severity of your condition, and the group determines what Medicare pays. This is a surgical group, meaning an operating room procedure was billed.
Can I dispute a bill with this code?
Yes. Ask in writing for a fully itemized statement, check that the diagnosis and procedures actually match your stay, and if the code seems more intensive than the care you received, ask for a coding review against your medical record. Miscoding is a common and legitimate ground for a bill to be reopened.
How long is a typical stay for MS-DRG 359?
Medicare's published geometric mean length of stay for this group is 3.8 days (arithmetic mean 5.3 days) for fiscal year 2026. If your bill charges for substantially more days than you were actually there, that is worth questioning.