DRG

In late March 2023, NHS England released an annual update of HRG4+ Local Payment Grouper for 2023/24, to come into effect on April 1, 2023. No new HRGs were added. The HRG design has been updated to accommodate the latest version of procedure coding classification (OPCS-4.10).

On March 22, 2022, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG, announced that they will be accepting applications for changes in the DRG system from June 5, 2023, until July 17, 2023. The results of the DRG applications made in 2023 will be reflected in the 2025 version of SwissDRG.

On February 7, 2023, the entity working on the new out-patient flat-rates, Solutions Tarifaires Suisses AG, announced the beginning of the consultation process for the work on version 0.3 of the new out-patient flat-rate reimbursement system. The comments can only be submitted by the tariff partners that established this body (associations of health insurers curafutura and santésuisse, as well as the association of hospitals H+, an association of physicians FMH, and medical tariff commission MTK/CTM). The consultations can be submitted until March 31, 2023.

On January 09, 2023, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) published 2023 tariffs for the “low variability care” (APR-DRG) system. APR-DRG logic for 2023 is not published as of January 27, so no information about its changes or new DRGs is available.

On January 1, 2023, the annual update of the Finnish NordDRG system came into force. There are 947 DRGs in the 2023 DRG system, compared to 930 DRGs in 2022. Among other changes, 34 new DRGs were introduced, including the DRGs in the cardiovascular, endocrine, endoscopy, gastrointestinal, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, surgical procedures, and some other fields.

On December 23, 2022, NHS England published a preliminary 2023/25 NHS Payment Scheme and launched a consultation. NHS Payment Scheme will replace the National Tariff Payment System from April 1, 2023. The deadline for comments submission is January 27, 2023.

On December 19, 2022, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) issued a draft release of the DRG package for 2024, including new procedure codes, new diagnosis codes, and several new DRGs. These changes concern pulmonary, gynecology, ENT, orthopedics, and other technology groups.

On December 19, 2022, NHS Digital released HRG4+ Consultation Grouper for 2023/24 to support NHS England’s consultation process for the 2023/25 NHS Payment Scheme. There are no new HRGs or other significant changes in the 2023/24 Consultation Grouper. Local Payment Grouper will supersede Consultation Grouper in March 2023 for use from April 1, 2023.

In December 2022, the Norwegian Directorate of Health published the final version of the DRG system (Innsatsstyrt finansiering, ISF) for 2023. Eight new DRGs concerning endocrinology, surgical procedures, infection diseases, genetics, and the general area will be added in 2023.

On November 30, 2022, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG, has published the final version of the 2023 DRG system. In total, 21 new DRGs were introduced, and they concern cardiovascular, ENT, gastrointestinal, gynecology, neurovascular, pulmonary, and some other technology groups. Also, three new add-on reimbursement categories were introduced.

On November 24, 2022, the INeK (Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog) with the list of DRGs and add-on reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2023. Seven new DRGs and seven ZE categories (for drugs only, none for medical technologies) were added to the catalog in 2023.

In November 2022, the Danish Health Data Agency (Sundhedsdatastyrelsen) published the DRG tariffs, as well as psychiatric and rehabilitation rates for 2023. Later, on December 1, 2022, the DRG tariff system (Takstsystem) guide for 2023 was also published. Among other changes, nine new DRGs, specifically in ENT, e-health, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, intensive care and OR, cardiovascular, and IVD fields, were introduced.