E978

E978 (also ICD-9-CM E978 or ICD 9 E 978) is a code in the (a rulebook for classifying health problems) that includes pretty much every kind of legal execution. Some folks, who link it with Obamacare, allege that E978 allows for legal execution. The ICD is maintained by the to standardize health problem classification across the world and does not carry any weight of law. It is descriptive, not prescriptive. It has all the things right wing conspiracy nuts in the US love: A vague connection (how ever tenuous) to Obama, the involvement of international standards and international organizations, a wording that when taken out of context can be misunderstood, a bizarre alphanumeric code that is not immediately self-explanatory and of course the letter E!

Legalized death by guillotine?
The kookier corners of the Internet have somehow tied this to Obamacare and proclaim that it makes execution by guillotine legal. Some of the juicier claims include:

Obama Care Billing Code ICD-9 E978: Executions and Beheadings […] A Temporary Ruling Authority engaged in decapitations by guillotine? What sort of nonsense is this? Exactly what is our government planning? And why is this billable under Obama Care? Exactly who would be submitting this bill? Is the “ruling authority” going to be paid for these beheadings by the Affordable Care Act (aka Obama Care)?

This frightening revelation makes the 1939 NAZI Aktion T4 [involuntary euthanasia] program out to be a garden party. […] Now what kind of treatment would "beheading" be for??? […] everything to date that Obama comes up with is devious and full of holes, if he says one thing it means something else. He is paving the way for his FEMA death camps.

One thing is for sure, whether omitted by DHS or someone else, there is a good reason this code was left out of their document. They definitely didn't want most people to see what it means. DHS knows this code would create a stir with the American people if they found out there was a code for “Legal Execution,” especially with a guillotine and beheading. […] Why are we allowing “coding” that goes against our principles and constitution? Why do we have a code for "Legal Execution" which is illegal in America? With the exception of those given the death penalty after trial by jury. […] Why would we allow forced medical coding through congressional bills to come from an organization that supports UN Agenda 21, Millennium Development Goals, and supports the eradication of “sprawl” (which is average people like you and I)?

We should all ask why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (and therefore the Obamacare website that the CMS oversees) has a medical code for legal execution — a medical code that “is considered a billable medical code and can be used to specify a diagnosis on a reimbursement claim.

Reality
Suffice it to say that this is bullshit. Again: These codes are descriptive (explaining how somebody died) rather than prescriptive (telling doctors how to kill people). And perhaps more importantly, as PolitiFact notes:

In short: Obamacare is actually getting rid of ICD-9. (Thanks, Obama!) ICD-10 doesn't even contain E978: instead, it contains a number of terms under the umbrella of "legal intervention" (1439A)

E978 itself
E978 is one of ICD-9's Diagnosis Codes for injury relating to homicide and legal intervention (970-978). E978 describes the circumstance causing an injury. E978 applies to:

In short: If a government (or revolutionary government) killed you, you'd be classified as ICD-9-CM-E978.