Germany

On the 23rd of May of 2018, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has published an update version of the report “Colorectal cancer screening in persons with familial risk”, which was commissioned to IQWiG by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in October of 2017 to provide an answer, whether people under 55 years of age with a family history of colorectal cancer benefit from a screening test. Like the previous report, the current one therefore concluded that the benefit of screening for under 55-year-olds with a family history of colorectal cancer is unclear.

On the 29th of May of 2018, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) has published a joint document with G-DRG proposals for 2019. According to the decision made on the basis of § 17b KHG, the names of the applicants and procedure proposals for 2019 were provided.

In May of 2018, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) approved two additional indications for application of PET/CT for management of malignant lymphomas for coverage within statutory health insurance. As the procedures were included into Directive for methods and examinations and Directive methods of the contract medical care, they are now reimbursed in both hospital and out-patient settings.

On the 9th of May of 2018, the addendum H18-01 to the report H16-02C “Ultrasound-guided high-focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) therapy for malignant neoplasms of the pancreas” commissioned by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) at the beginning of March of 2018, was published by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on its web-site.

The call for a tender to select an organization to run the pilot study “Liposuction for the treatment of lipedema” was announced by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) on the 8th of May of 2018. The deadline for the requests is the 26th of June, 2018, 14:00.

On the 26th of April of 2018, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has announced the call for a tender for the pilot study “Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation in Retinitis Pigmentosa” in the Official Journal of the European Union. The deadline for the requests is the 22nd of June, 2018, 14:00

On the 26th of April of 2018, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has commissioned to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) to provide a rapid report regarding the current state of medical knowledge on synchronous balneophototherapy in atopic eczema. The identified results of the current state of medical knowledge would form the basis for the further G-BA’s assessment of adequacy, appropriateness and economic benefits of the researched method.

On the 19th of April of 2018, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) was able to reassess previously excluded use of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in the indication of heel pain in plantar fasciitis on a current scientific basis and decided that ESWT will be used in out-patient settings in the future.

At the end of March of 2018, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has released an updated version of the disease management program (DMP) “Coronary heart disease”, which was initially implemented in 2003.

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has selected four out of 31 themes for the future health technology assessments, which were proposed by the citizens at the web-site of ThemenCheck Medizin service and will presumably be published at the beginning of 2019. The next process of topics’ selection will start in August of 2018.

The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has published two calls for tenders in the Official Journal of the European Union to select evaluator for two coverage with evidence development studies for pulmonary artery pressure measurement and monitoring using an implanted sensor to optimize therapy in NYHA class III heart failure and allogeneic stem cell transplantation for front-line treatment of multiple myeloma.