key: cord-0985777-dwlc2lwl
authors: Muzumdar, Sonal; Grant-Kels, Jane M.; Feng, Hao
title: Dear Dermatoethicist:The Ethics of Charging Patients an Infection Control Fee in the Context of COVID-19
date: 2020-06-17
journal: J Am Acad Dermatol
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.040
sha: 9c0fa31716249683f6240a5e1a3bdf3150b5ff8a
doc_id: 985777
cord_uid: dwlc2lwl

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Advocacy for higher insurance reimbursement and/or coverage of appropriate Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (e.g. 99070, A4928, A9286) to account for increased cost of infection control rather than charging patients an infection control fee may be a more ethical and feasible option. One may also consider increasing prices of cosmetic procedures, aesthetician services, and skin-care products to help offset the practice financial strain. In cases where dermatologists can and decide to charge patients legally, they should charge only what is necessary to cover the added expense and provide an upfront, transparent written financial policy plus seek consent of additional costs prior to the visit to respect patient autonomy. Dermatologists must continue delivering high-quality care while practicing appropriate infection control to avoid preventable risk and harm, but more support is needed to ensure a more equitable distribution of the financial burden and minimize the harm to patients and clinical care.

Society for Healthcare Organization Procurement Professionals Web site