A hospital’s case mix index (CMI) rises. What does that change most directly reflect?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
CMI is basically the hospital’s average “how sick/complex were our inpatients” score based on DRG weights. When that average weight goes up, CMI goes up. Complete, honest coding can move it—upcoding without support cannot.
Full Explanation
Case mix index is commonly calculated as the average MS-DRG relative weight for a hospital’s inpatient discharges. Higher average weights raise CMI; lower weights lower it. Ethical capture of documented CC/MCC conditions can affect CMI, but unsupported coding is improper and unrelated to staffing mandates or outpatient APC volume alone.