Coronavirus

The Corona warning app, developed on behalf of the German government, has been available for download in the Google and Apple stores since June 16, 2020. It is intended to help identify and break infection chains at an early stage. Users of the app receive a notification if they have been for a long time in the vicinity of a person who was later found to be infected with the coronavirus.

On 9 May 2020, the Reimbursement Commission made changes to the SUT regarding response to the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced codes for IVD tests for Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcriptase PCR and detection of Covid-19 antigen, IgG, IgM.

The reimbursement for PCR tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 will be reduced from €59.00 to €39.40 per test starting from July 1, 2020, and the billing of the examination will be limited to five times in the case of treatment. This decision was made by the extended evaluation committee on June 10, 2020.

From June 2020, NHS England will provide patients with cystic fibrosis and those recovering from coronavirus with devices and apps so physicians can track their condition remotely as part of the NHS drive to deliver connected, assisted, personalized care to more individuals in their own homes.

On June 9, 2020, NHS England announced new online services for diabetes patients. This remote support will supplement the appointments of patients, many of whom have been going on during the pandemic, via video or telephone consultations, and more recently in protected areas under COVID.

According to the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI) announcement, there will be a new ICD code for the coding of non-curative COVID-19 tests in symptom-free people implemented in ICD-10-GM on June 1, 2020. The implementation in the practice management systems is ongoing.

Public Health England has carried out a number of rapid evaluations of commercial serological tests for their suitability for detecting the production of COVID-19 antibodies. Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay and the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology assay were evaluated by Public Health England.

On May 7, 2020, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) announced that antibodies testing for COVID-19 will be reimbursement. The findings of the test must be communicated within 24 hours.

On 10 April 2020, the Reimbursement Commission made changes to the SUT regarding response to the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced procedure codes regarding pandemic care service (including pandemic care service for ICU care and immune plasma supply and application).

On April 1, 2020, Minister of Health, Welfare, and Sport decided to secure a total of €42 million for studying the most urgent corona-related issues. It is estimated that these additional funds will enable 80 - 100 evaluations to be carried out. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) will work together on the research programs.

On March 27, 2020, the BMSGPK release the notes with the rules on diagnosis coding and administrative documentation for COVID-19 in hospitals as part of the project "Performance-based hospital financing (LKF)."

In March 2020, the entity managing the Swiss DRG system, SwissDRG, released several announcements about the changes related to the COVID19. The announcements concern diagnosis coding of COVID19, and the reimbursement changes required to adequately cover the care for the new disease.