Belgium

In December 2024, MTRC reported that the first health app had entered Level 3+ of the mHealthBelgium validation pyramid, indicating eligibility for regular reimbursement. However, no health apps are currently listed at Level 3 on the validation pyramid. mHealthBelgium clarified to MTRC that the December 2024 listing was part of a visual test to demonstrate how an app would appear at Level 3 on their website. They anticipate that the first apps will officially reach Level 3 by the end of January 2025.

On December 20, 2024, the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) released the Health Services Research report on expenditure control measures in Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)-based hospital payment systems. The report offers an overview of the current hospital financing model in Belgium, details proposed reforms toward case-based DRG payments, reviews expenditure control mechanisms in five European countries, and provides recommendations to stakeholders.

In December 2024, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) announced changes in the cervical cancer screening program starting from January 1, 2025. The key change is that in people aged 30 to 64 years, an HPV (Human Papillomavirus) test will be the primary for cervical cancer screening instead of a cytological examination. For this age group, HPV tests will be reimbursed every five years.

In December 2024, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) launched a new agreement (Convention) allowing reimbursement for remote monitoring of patients with chronic heart failure. It will come into force on January 1, 2025. New codes (pseudonomenclature) with fees for packages of care will be used for reimbursement. The packages include monitoring of clinical parameters by patients at home (e.g., blood pressure measurement or pulmonary artery pressure measured by an implanted sensor) and transmission of data via a health app to the remote monitoring team at the hospital.

In August 2024, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) announced the national implementation of the first Integrated Care Program as part of the Intrafederal Plan: care and support for pregnant women, children, and their families during their first 1000 days. Four new INAMI-RIZIV pseudo-nomenclature codes with fees were introduced to cover the key activities within the program.

On July 1, 2024, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) introduced a new agreement (Convention), which allows permanent reimbursement for molecular biology tests by next-generation sequencing (NGS) in oncology and hemato-oncology. The tests were reimbursed temporarily in the context of the pilot Convention from 2019. Fifty-one new pseudo-nomenclature codes with tariffs were introduced. The pseudocode descriptions specify the indication, while certain biomarkers and reimbursement conditions are mentioned as notes to the code.

In July 2024, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) approved a new agreement (Convention) allowing reimbursement for percutaneous CT-guided ablation of renal, hepatic, pulmonary, and bone tumors. The agreement will come into force on November 1, 2024, and will be valid until October 31, 2029.

On July 1, 2024, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) introduced a new agreement (Convention), which allows permanent reimbursement for molecular biology tests by next-generation sequencing (NGS) in oncology and hemato-oncology. The tests were reimbursed temporarily in the context of the pilot Convention from 2019. Fifty-one new pseudo-nomenclature codes with tariffs were introduced. The pseudocode descriptions specify the indication, while certain biomarkers and reimbursement conditions are mentioned as notes to the code.

On June 18, 2024, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated the information about the status of the ongoing structural reform of the Nomenclature started in 2019. INAMI/RIZIV reported on activities already completed as of June 2024 and announced further steps.

On May 1, 2024, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated several articles of the Nomenclature. New procedure codes were introduced in pulmonary, endoscopy, and in-vitro diagnostic fields.

In March 2024, the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) launched the development of two new Health Services Research reports concerning DRG-based lump-sum and indirect costs in hospital financing.

In Belgium, kidney dialysis is reimbursed under a specific agreement (Convention) between the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) and chronic kidney failure centers starting in 2018. The current update of the Convention came into force on January 1, 2024, and is valid until December 31, 2026. Four new Pseudo-nomenclature codes for informing and training patients were added.