Germany

On behalf of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) investigated whether (former) heavy smokers within statutory health insurance (SHI) should be offered lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).

In late June 2020, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published funding priorities on its website. For the first time, the decision on the funding priorities was preceded by a consultation process. Healthcare stakeholders who are not members of the Innovation Committee were asked to come up with suggestions for funding topics and criteria.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on July 1, 2020. MTRC has compiled the selection of the most significant changes.

A new guideline on follicular lymphoma (FL) has been published as part of the oncology guideline program. The guideline was developed by 64 experts from 21 specialist societies and organizations under the supervision of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO).

The Corona warning app, developed on behalf of the German government, has been available for download in the Google and Apple stores since June 16, 2020. It is intended to help identify and break infection chains at an early stage. Users of the app receive a notification if they have been for a long time in the vicinity of a person who was later found to be infected with the coronavirus.

The reimbursement for PCR tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 will be reduced from €59.00 to €39.40 per test starting from July 1, 2020, and the billing of the examination will be limited to five times in the case of treatment. This decision was made by the extended evaluation committee on June 10, 2020.

According to the German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI) announcement, there will be a new ICD code for the coding of non-curative COVID-19 tests in symptom-free people implemented in ICD-10-GM on June 1, 2020. The implementation in the practice management systems is ongoing.

The German Society for Neurology (DGN) has published a new version of the S1 guideline "Syncope." It is valid until January 2025.

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published the final report, in which it was studied whether wearing a lower jaw protrusion splint (Unterkieferprotrusionsschiene, UPS) is beneficial for obstructive sleep apnea. IQWiG issued the preliminary report in October 2019.

The application portal for inclusion in the directory of digital health apps (DiGA) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has been online since May 27, 2020. The application, which can be submitted only electronically, is the first step for the respective health app to be reimbursed in the future as part of regular care.

On behalf of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has researched current evidence-based guidelines on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), summarized their recommendations and checked the need for updates for the COPD disease management program (DMP).

The German Society for Neurology (DGN) has released a new version of the S1 guideline "Diagnostics and therapy of neurogenic bladder disorders." It is valid until January 2025.