Innovation funding

On March 22, 2021, the repository of innovative laboratory tests (RIHN) and the Supplementary list were published. No new codes for IVD tests have been introduced and no codes were removed in the new versions of catalogs.

On March 08, 2021, Academic Health Science Networks (ASHN) announced twelve innovators ("Fellows") and innovations selected to join NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) award-winning program in 2021. NIA is an NHS England and Improvement initiative delivered in partnership with England's 15 AHSNs, hosted at UCLPartners. All awarded technologies are related to eHealth, including digital platforms, mobile applications, artificial intelligence (AI), wearables for home-based diagnostic.

On March 17, 2021, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities. Applicants are invited to submit ideas for projects that fall within one of these funding priorities. The deadline for submitting ideas is June 1, 2021.

The Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), Dutch Health Authority (NZa), and Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ), implemented an extension of existing digital healthcare innovation programs called "ZorgZandbak" to demonstrate how digital care could become an integral part of regular care.

In February 2021, NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) published an "Our year in focus 2019/20" report. In 2019/20, AAC programs supported over 2,500 innovations. The report provides information regarding AAC achievements in their priority areas and identifies future development of innovation funding programs.

On January 28, 2021, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the first overview of the 28 innovative projects on new forms of medical care that will be funded. The projects concerning the technologies belonging to the cardiovascular, eHealth, orthopedic, neurology, nephrology, and other technology groups received funding.

On January 26, 2021, NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative published the MedTech Funding Mandate policy for 2021/22, which will come into force in April 2021. According to the NHS Long Term Plan, introducing a MedTech Funding Mandate will support getting innovative medical devices, diagnostics, and digital products to patients faster. Four technologies will be supported in 2021/22 - HeartFlow FFRCT, gammaCore, SecurAcath, and PIGF-based testing.

On January 29, 2021, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) has published the List of the requests for innovation funding (NUB) that were submitted by the hospitals in 2020. The medical technologies belonging to the cardiovascular, ENT, eHealth, gastrointestinal, neuromodulation, neurovascular, orthopedic, and other technology groups obtained positive status 1.

The French Ministry of Solidarity and Health constantly announces the new experiments initiated under Article 51 of the Social Security Financing Act. These experiments are focused on various topics concerning medical technologies and organization of care. Eleven new experiments were initiated in the fourth quarter of 2020. The experiments concern areas of diabetes, nutrition, home monitoring of patients on oral cancer drugs, bariatric surgery, and others. More details about each of the experiments initiated in the fourth quarter of 2020 is provided in this article.

In late December 2020, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has announced funding from the G-BA Innovation Fund of twenty-eight innovative projects on new forms of medical care.

On December 18, 2020, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published the detailed application form for the Subsidy Scheme for Promising Care with explanatory notes. The closing date for submitting grant applications is March 2, 2021.

In 2013, Norway established a framework “New Method” for the introduction of innovations into the health care system through either a national or hospital-based health technology assessment. In this framework, all innovations should undergo HTA before being funded. In the second half of 2020, eight new mini-HTA projects of medical technologies were launched in Norway: tissue allotransplantation, pain treatment via neuromodulation, among others.