COVID-19 Classified: Moral Issues

In a time when healthcare providers face heavy financial pressures, ensuring they get paid for the right work at the right rates is essential. The onslaught of COVID-19 testing and treatment has added many hurdles in the form of new codes which are needed to ensure all health providers are paid. These codes are used to identify present and past patients also.

The CDC, AMA and CMS have issued guidelines to all insurance, and healthcare providers involved in the treatment of COVID-19. The many agencies involved have worked to make COVID-19 medical codes readily available while fast tracking documentation guidelines for suspected and confirmed cases.

ICD-10-CM codes : Information readily available

1. Confirmed Cases positive, presumed positive.

2.Potential cases…suspected possible, probable or inclusive tested.

3. Ruled out cases

4.Asymptomatic Screening of those with negative or unknown results.

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)codes

1. Nucleic Acid Testing: Testing of novel coronavirus.

2. Antibody Testing: revised code(86318 can be used along with new child code 86328 for antibody testing

Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System created for use with coronavirus testing.

1. CDC Testing for tests performed at CDC Labs

2. Other testing done in non CDC labs including private labs.

3.High Throughput DNA Testing used in nucleic acid testing

4. High Throughput Other testing using tests of another technic other than the CDC Lab .

Correct coding matters, for financial and healthcare purposes. Faster reimbursements for testing and enabling patients to receive covered care. Accurate documentation supplies crucial data to be shared with appropriate medical authorities, which hopefully helps track the prevalence and spread of COVID-19 and other possibly new coronavirus.

The huge effort having been invested in to track and document the fight against COVID-19 has presented society with a number of moral questions. Can the information acquired upon our citizenry be illegally used, manipulated and even stolen for nefarious uses? Do the multiple vaccinations we have been encouraged to have contain pathogens and chemicals that could effect us in the future? The fight against COVID has instilled a sharp tool of complaint, conspiracy theories and fear among many within our societies. Are we guinea pigs, and has the Pharmaceutical Industry’s outreach to our governments become far to intertwined, controlling with undue influence present?

Ultimately research into the effects of multiple vaccinations and its long term effects upon patients is essential. What is the ethical challenge before Big Pharma and our governments? Did you know that once you go to a doctors office and give blood samples, and it is sent to a laboratory for analysis, what happens to that blood? Who has a patent/ownership on that sample of DNA? Did you know that multiple members of Big Pharma have taken samples of DNA and placed patents upon them, often for use in research and industry without the knowledge or approval of donors? When a crisis happens, someone always see’s an opportunity within the crisis, and profits from it. Has the Pandemic created the perfect environment for such actions by our government and big business?

Steven Kaszab

Bradford, Ontario

skaszab@yahoo.ca