Short Info: RDRG (USA)

The RDRG system is a refinement of the HCFA-DRG system. All DRGs subdivided according to age and/or secondary diagnoses were merged in base RDRGs. They were then all divided into three medical and four surgical severity levels. To that end, several CC-lists were defined. (The previous HCFA-DRG system used only one such list.)

The severity level is assigned based on the most significant secondary diagnosis. In newborns, birth weight is used as an indicator. Patients who die during the first two days of their hospital stay are assigned to an RDRG named "early death in major category NN".

In 1989, the final report (on the second version) was published. The system comprised 1146 RDRGs (321 base RDRGs). For pediatric patients, se­pa­rate cost weights were calculated.