Germany

The updated German Uniform Evaluation Standard (EBM) catalog came into force on January 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 "zanadio" health app for follow-up and evaluation was introduced in the catalog.

On December 26, 2022, three 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 sickness funds.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on January 1, 2023. The most significant changes concern introducing the EBM codes for several IVD tests and further promoting outpatient (day case) surgical services.

In late December 2022, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) published a detailed overview of the changes in the reimbursement of outpatient surgeries to be introduced in Germany in 2023, which are aimed at expanding the utilization of these procedures by physicians.

On December 2, 2022, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) launched the electronic application portal for digital nursing care applications (DiPAs). It provides the possibility to submit applications for the inclusion of DiPAs in the DiPA Directory. The Directory will be launched by BfArM as soon as the first DiPA is accepted for inclusion.

On December 6, 2022, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) presented an updated draft version (7.0) of its general methods. The interested parties can submit written comments until the deadline of January 31, 2023.

On November 24, 2022, the INeK (Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog) with the list of DRGs and add-on reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2023. Seven new DRGs and seven ZE categories (for drugs only, none for medical technologies) were added to the catalog in 2023.

In late November – early December 2022, the application period for 2024 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 November 18, 2022, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced the selection of twenty-eight project ideas for Innovation Funding of the new forms of care within the framework of the two-stage application process. A total of 114 project ideas were received in response to the funding announcement of March 3, 2022, and only twenty-eight were accepted.

On November 18, 2022, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced that sixteen applications for Innovation Funding of the new forms of care were accepted. These applications relate to the funding announcement of March 17, 2021. Most projects relate to interdisciplinary or cross-sectoral care and pathways.

On October 27, 2022, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2023 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 28, 2022, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) reported that 231 applications were received for innovation funding of healthcare research projects.