Germany

Between early September 2023 and mid-January 2024, four more health apps were introduced in the Directory of digital health applications (DiGAs) at the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and thus became reimbursable. These apps can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and will be reimbursed by health insurers. In total, 53 health apps are currently available in the DiGA Directory, and six health apps were delisted from the Directory.

On December 20, 2023, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) announced that from January 1, 2024, the catalog for ambulatory operations in hospitals (AOP catalog) will be significantly expanded – 171 interventional procedures will be included in the catalog.

On December 15, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for another three completed projects. Two projects evaluated the decision support tools for the BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. The third project analyzed the healthcare provided for patients with congenital heart defects.

In late November – early December 2023, the application period for 2025 ICD-10-GM (German modification of ICD-10 diagnosis codes), OPS (procedure codes), and DRG changes was opened by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and the Institute for Hospital Remuneration Systems (INeK) respectively.

On December 21, 2023, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the first quarter of 2024 was published. The most significant changes concern the update of Annex 2 of the catalog, the introduction of the new EBM codes for external electrical cardioversion in adult and pediatric patients, follow-up and evaluation of the health app companion patella, as well as a companion diagnostics test for genotyping to determine CYP2C19 metabolism status.

On November 14, 2023, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog) with the list of DRGs and additional reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2024.

On November 16, 2023, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) informed that Annex 2 of the updated German Uniform Evaluation Standard (EBM) catalog, which is expected to be published on January 1, 2024, will be enriched with an additional 33 interventional procedures.

On October 26, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) reported that 236 applications were received for innovation funding of healthcare research projects.

On October 26, 2023, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2024 OPS procedure coding classification. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification), forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care in Germany.

On October 16, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decision recommending the transfer to standard care for another three completed projects. Two projects evaluated the effects of psychotherapy structural reform. The third project analyzed the health risks of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (drugs that reduce stomach acid production).

The updated German Uniform Evaluation Standard (EBM) catalog came into force on October 1, 2023. The EBM catalog (Einheitlicher Bewertungsmaßstab) regulates the reimbursement of services in the public outpatient sector in Germany and is updated once a quarter (four times a year). Among other changes, a new code for “Mawendo” and “Oviva Direkt für Adipositas” health apps were introduced in the catalog.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on October 1, 2023. The most significant changes concern the introduction of the new EBM codes for several IVD tests, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography, as well as for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in vestibular schwannomas.