e-Health

On June 30, 2025, the document "Changes and innovations in the 2026 LKF model" (Änderungen und Neuerungen in den LKF-Modellen 2026) was published. The document summarizes the most significant changes and innovations in the LKF model for inpatient and outpatient care. The procedure codes expected to be introduced in 2026 mainly concern e-health, endoscopy, interventional radiology, orthopedics, pulmonology, and robotic fields.

Since January 2025, three MedTech-related mini-HTAs were initiated in the areas of men’s health, in-vitro diagnostics, and diagnostic imaging as a part of a framework for the managed introduction of innovations "New Methods" in Norway. Furthermore, 11 mini-HTAs were published in this period, including cardiovascular, e-health, gastrointestinal, men’s health, and spine areas.

On July 3, 2025, the UK Government published the 10 Year Health Plan for England as part of its mission to build a health service fit for the future. It sets out how the government will reinvent the NHS through three radical shifts - hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. This transition will be supported by a new NHS operating model, improved transparency of care quality, a redesigned workforce model, innovation to power transformation, and a new financial foundation. Five transformative technologies will drive reform: data, AI, genomics, wearables, and robotics. Other MedTech-related initiatives include expanding NICE's technology appraisals to devices, diagnostics, and digital products and implementing the 'Innovator passport'.

On July 1, 2025, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the third quarter of 2025 came into force. The main changes introduced concern updates of the contents (services legends, preambles of several EBM subchapters) and the introduction of new EBM codes for the reimbursement of transmitters for telemonitoring and telemedical monitoring of implantable cardiac devices, as well as codes for the services provided within the co-funded study on low-dose pulsed ultrasound for pseudarthrosis.

In June 2025, the first five health apps were rated and recommended by the Board for Health Apps in Denmark. The rated apps concern endocrine, orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery, mental health, and primary care fields. The Board will continuously evaluate new apps; the list will be expanded as new apps are recommended.

In June 2025, the Skåne University Hospital (HTA South) is working on health technology assessments in several areas, including diagnostic imaging, e-health, in-vitro diagnostics, men’s health and neurology.

On June 5, 2025, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) published its favorable opinion on the coverage of AI-assisted digitalized urine cytology using VisioCyt Bladder, an in-vitro diagnostic medical device, under the renewed Repository of Innovative Procedures outside the Nomenclature of Biology and Anatomocytopathology (RIHN) 2.0.

In May 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Early Value Assessments (Digital therapy for chronic tic disorders and Tourette syndrome, AI technologies for skin lesions) and one new Late Stage Assessment (Drug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease). Furthermore, three clinical guidelines were updated.

On May 13, 2025, the Common Package of Benefits of the Spanish National Health System (NHS) was amended. The med tech-related updates mostly concerned in-vitro diagnostics, gastrointestinal, e-Health, cardiovascular, ENT, ophthalmology, oral health, and neurology fields.

In May 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published the Trendwatch Report on Healthcare Innovations in Specialist Medical Care, identifying 316 MedTech innovations across 11 clusters, with AI-driven diagnostics, predictive models, and image-guided therapy predicted to have the highest impact in the medical specialist care, while also highlighting significant risks associated with assistive robotics and wearable monitoring technologies for inclusion in basic health insurance.

In the first quarter of 2025, the Swedish Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV) published two health technology assessments in the robotic surgery field and proceeded with working on HTAs in the e-health, endocrine, and neurosurgery fields.

On May 01, 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the first release of the 2026 DRG package (RZ26a). Three new procedure codes, seven new supplementary payments (OZPs), one new diagnosis code, and two new DRGs will be implemented across in-vitro diagnostics, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery, cardiovascular and other technology groups.