Starting February 17, Practicode will automatically generate DRG assignments for all inpatient cases using the MS-DRG v42.2 grouper. You will no longer manually select a DRG — the DRG entry field will be hidden from the interface.

What's Changing in Your Workflow

When you submit your codes, Practicode will run your code set through the MS-DRG grouper and display the resulting DRG in your case results. You'll still see your grouped DRG, the expected DRG from the Answer Key, and any variance between the two.

This mirrors how inpatient facility coding actually works: coders assign diagnosis and procedure codes, and the grouper calculates the DRG. Most facility coders are never expected to manually determine a DRG in a real-world setting, and now Practicode reflects that.

How This Affects Your Score

DRG selection will no longer be graded as a separate task. Since the DRG is derived directly from your submitted codes, your score is already reflecting the accuracy of your code assignments. An incorrect DRG simply means your underlying coding needs attention.

Your DRG assignment will continue to appear on the Inpatient Revenue Report under the Dashboard menu, showing the financial impact of DRG variance, a useful way to see how coding accuracy translates to reimbursement outcomes.

What's Not Affected

Cases submitted before February 17, 2026, will not change. This update applies only to cases submitted on or after the effective date.

Bottom Line

Focus on accurate principal diagnosis selection, secondary diagnoses, procedure coding, and MCC/CC capture. Get those right, and the DRG takes care of itself — just like it does in a real facility.