Germany

In late June – mid-July 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for another three completed projects. The projects were dedicated to the topics of care concept for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa), the use of webcams in neonatal intensive care units, and improving the pharmacovigilance of innovative therapies.

On June 21, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities for healthcare research projects (eight topics) and clinical guidelines (three topics).

On July 2, 2024, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the third quarter of 2024 was published. The changes introduced mainly concern updating the content of several EBM sections with the respective comments and/or clarifications and introducing the new EBM codes for several companion diagnostics tests, for follow-up and evaluation of the “Kranus Lutera” health app, and for the services provided within the co-funded study on bronchoscopic lung volume reduction in severe pulmonary emphysema using thermal ablation (rp-RL BTVA).

On May 27, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced that ninety-one applications (project ideas) for innovation funding of the projects for new forms of care were received.

On May 17, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for another three completed projects. The projects were dedicated to the topics of booster vaccination against meningococci of serogroup C, reduction of antibiotic resistance, and dual pilot structure for diagnosis clarification in centers for rare diseases.

On May 17, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced that forty-eight applications for innovation funding of healthcare research projects were accepted.

On April 22, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced that fourteen applications for innovation funding of development or further development of the clinical guidelines were accepted.

On April 19, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced the start of the application period for submission of the proposed topics for new funding announcements for the projects in the field of health services research, as well as for the new forms of care.

On April 3, 2024, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the second quarter of 2024 was published. The changes introduced mainly concern updating the content of several EBM sections with the respective comments and/or clarifications and introducing the new EBM codes for the services provided within the co-funded study on sleep position therapy in mild to moderate position-dependent obstructive sleep apnea.

On March 28, 2024, it was announced that the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband), and the German Hospital Federation (DKG) agreed to extend the Hybrid DRGs catalog with about 100 more procedures to be reimbursed via the Hybrid DRGs mechanism starting in 2025.

On March 26, 2024, the “Digital Law – DigiG” (Law to accelerate the digitalization of the healthcare system) came into force, leading a line of changes concerning the G-BA Innovation Fund: the Fund becomes permanent and also the funding procedure for the projects dedicated to the new forms of care changes.

On March 22, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities for projects on new forms of care (for single-stage process – open topic and for two-stage process – nine topics).