DRG

On January 30, 2025, NHS England published a proposed 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme (NHSPS) and launched a consultation. The scheme will be set for one financial year (starting on April 1, 2025). No significant changes were made to the general payment model. The changes include the introduction of tariffs for activities from Community Diagnostic Centres and a new Best Practice Tariff to incentivize shifting suitable procedures from day case or elective settings to outpatient settings. The deadline for comments submission is February 28, 2025.

In January 2025, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) released updated APR-DRG tariffs for the “low variability care” system. No significant changes were made, and no new APR-DRGs were added. The reimbursement tariffs were increased by about 2.5%.

On January 1, 2025, the annual update of the Finnish NordDRG system came into force. A total of 54 new DRGs were introduced concerning cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, gastrointestinal, ENT, neurology and neurosurgery, men’s health, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, pulmonary and airways, spine, and surgical procedures fields.

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.

On December 12, 2024, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG, published the final (billing) version of the 2025 DRG system. In total, 23 new DRGs related to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nephrology and urology, neurology and neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonary and airways, and some other areas were introduced. Also, 17 new add-on reimbursement categories were implemented.

In late November – early December 2024, the application period for 2026 ICD-10-GM (German modification of ICD-10 diagnosis codes), OPS (procedure codes), and DRG changes was opened by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and the Institute for Hospital Remuneration Systems (INeK), respectively.

In November 2024, the annual update of the Swedish NordDRG system was published to come into force on January 1, 2025. No new DRGs were introduced. In 2025, to obtain DRG tariffs, cost-weights must be multiplied by a base rate of 88,061 SEK.

On November 12, 2024, the Danish Health Data Authority published the DRG tariffs for 2025. In accordance with the released documentation, four new DRGs in the fields of radiology, dermatology, and the treatment of functional disorders will be introduced in 2025.

In October 2024, the Norwegian Directorate of Health published a preliminary version of the DRG system (Innsatsstyrt finansiering, ISF) for 2025. Two new DRGs concerning men’s health and dental areas will be introduced.

On October 14, 2024, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog) with the list of DRGs and additional reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2025. Three new DRGs were introduced in the endoscopy and ophthalmology fields.

On October 01, 2024, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the second release of the 2025 DRG package (RZ25b). Three new procedure codes, four new supplementary payments (OZPs), 18 new diagnosis codes, and two new DRGs will be implemented across gastroenterology, surgery, diagnostic imaging, molecular diagnostics, and other areas.

In October 2024, the updated version of the intra-DRG list was published in France. Three new devices were registered in the cardiovascular and neurovascular fields. Furthermore, one device was removed from the list, and the registration conditions for several devices were changed.