Germany

The so-called hybrid DRGs reimbursement mechanism will first cover services from the “starting catalog”, and it will be implemented at the beginning of 2024. The catalog itself is still not publicly available.

On September 1, 2023, the Institute for Hospital Remuneration Systems (INeK) announced the start of the application process for the innovation funding of the new examination and treatment methods (NUB) for 2024. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) reminds applying hospitals about minor changes in application requirements.

Between late May and early September 2023, two 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, 49 health apps are currently available in the DiGA Directory, and six health apps were delisted from the Directory.

On August 24, 2023, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) informed that new services for serological diagnostics of Toxoplasma infection will be included in the German Uniform Evaluation Standard (EBM) catalog since October 1, 2023.

On August 11, 2024, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the preliminary 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 inpatient and outpatient care in Germany.

On June 30, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions, recommending the transfer to standard care for two completed projects. The projects relate to the utilization of emergency care structures in Germany and implementation of patient guidelines for psychosocial therapies for patients with severe mental diseases.

On June 30, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities for healthcare research projects (five topics) and clinical guidelines (four topics).

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on July 1, 2023. The most significant changes concern introducing the new EBM codes for several IVD tests, as well as for the cryopreservation of the ovarian tissue.

On June 15, 2023, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) informed that new services for the detection of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) will be included in the German Uniform Evaluation Standard (EBM) catalog since July 1, 2023.

On June 7, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the overview of thirty-five newly funded healthcare research projects. These projects relate to the two funding announcements of June 27, 2022 (changed on September 20, 2022).

On May 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. The projects relate to controlling drug prescriptions in outpatient settings, evaluating the effectiveness of outpatient extensive stuttering therapy in primary school children, and the efficacy of cross-sectoral care models in psychiatry.

On April 5, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced the selection of thirty-five applications for Innovation Funding of healthcare research projects were accepted. A total of 231 applications were received in response to the funding announcement of June 27, 2022 (changed on September 20, 2022), and thirty-five of them were accepted.