Cardiovascular procedures

On October 24, 2024, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2025 OPS procedure coding classification. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification), forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care in Germany. Multiple new procedure codes were introduced in several fields, including cardiovascular, endoscopic, peripheral vascular, and robotic surgery.

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) released new recommendations about add-on reimbursement of medical devices and medical aids from the meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies (CNEDiMTS) in October 2024. Ten recommendations were published concerning the registration or modification of registration conditions/extension of indications for the medical devices in the List of Reimbursable Products and Services (LPPR). Opinions concern cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, neurovascular, and interventional radiology devices, as well as medical aids.

In August 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedures Guidance concerning caval valve implantation for tricuspid regurgitation and phrenic nerve pacing for ventilator-dependent high cervical spinal cord injury and for congenital central hypoventilation syndrome. Furthermore, two new clinical guidelines were published for diabetic retinopathy and adrenal insufficiency.

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues three types of documents: full HTA reports, rapid HTA reports, and motivational forms. With regional decree 16951 of July 22, 2024, Tuscany Regional Healthcare published five new assessments and two reassessments of medical devices in the cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, surgical procedures, and obstetrics and gynecology areas.

In March 2024, several method assessments were initiated as a part of a framework for the managed introduction of innovations "New Methods" for cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, men’s health, neurology and neurosurgery, neuromodulation, obstetrics and gynecology, robotic surgery, and some other fields.

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues three types of documents: full HTA reports, rapid HTA reports, and motivational forms. With regional decree 2935 of February 13, 2024, Tuscany Regional Healthcare has published assessments of four medical devices in the cardiovascular and peripheral vascular, ICU/OR, pulmonary and airways, dermatology, and robotic surgery areas.

Between mid-January 2024 and mid-February 2024, three more health apps were introduced in the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and thus became reimbursable. These apps can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers. In total, 56 health apps are currently available in the DiGA Directory, and six health apps were delisted from the Directory.

The Danish Health Data Authority quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (SKS). In December 2023, the latest code changes were published to come into force on January 1, 2024. Nine new surgical procedure codes and four new medical (MedTech-related) procedure codes concerning cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, interventional radiology, men’s health, peripheral vascular, radiotherapy, and dermatology were introduced.

On December 15, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for another three completed projects. Two projects evaluated the decision support tools for the BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. The third project analyzed the healthcare provided for patients with congenital heart defects.

On December 21, 2023, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the first quarter of 2024 was published. The most significant changes concern the update of Annex 2 of the catalog, the introduction of the new EBM codes for external electrical cardioversion in adult and pediatric patients, follow-up and evaluation of the health app companion patella, as well as a companion diagnostics test for genotyping to determine CYP2C19 metabolism status.

On November 29, 2023, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health published the changes that will occur to the Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which determines coverage of medical services in Switzerland. The updates will enter into force on January 1 or July 1, 2024, and they relate to the list of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 of KLV/OPre), outpatient-before-hospital services (Annex 1a), List of Tools and Equipment (Annex 2), and List of Analyses (Annex 3).

On December 1, 2023, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated several articles of the Nomenclature. New procedure codes with reimbursement fees and associated conditions concerning cardiovascular, neurology, and obstetrics fields were added.