Objective To explore the impact of diagnosis related groups (DRGs) payment and drug zero plus on the management of intensive care medicine department. Methods The clinical data of patients in one year from 2016 to 2017 admitted into the Department of ICU in Liuzhou Worker's Hospital concerning their numbers of discharged patients, transferred patients, bed utilization rate, number of bed turnover, average length of stay of discharged patients, cure and improvement rates, admission and discharge diagnostic coincidence rate, 3-day definite diagnosis rate, clinicopathological diagnosis coincidence rate, rescue success rate, total income, drug proportion, consumable proportion, DRGs payment and settlement data, etc were retrospectively analyzed to explore the dual challenges, DRGs payment and drug zero plus, facing the department and how to respond and deal with them. Results In 2016 and 2017, the total incomes of the department of critical care medicine in our hospital were 42.107 0 million yuan and 41.371 3 million yuan respectively, and the medical insurance incomes were 15.03 million yuan and 16.69 million yuan respectively;in 2016 and 2017, 2 693 patients and 2 922 patients were admitted and treated respectively; 595 patients and 577 patients were discharged respectively, with 2 071 patients and 2 334 patients transferred respectively; the balances of the department were 15.48 million yuan and 29.11 million yuan, respectively. From July to December 2017, the medical insurance DRGs payment data suggested that the proportion of loss of the department be 7.02%. Accelerating the Grade 6 electronic medical records and informationization construction, adopting the severe disease information solution program and fine quality control management in the department of critical care medicine can reduce the cost of manpower. Conclusion Our future development direction in the Department of Intensive Care Medicine includes the following aspects: Open source and reduce expenditure, strictly control the proportions of drugs and consumables, improve the balance of the department, and actively respond and deal with the medical insurance DRGs payment.