The Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the German 2024 DRG catalog

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.

The following changes were introduced:

• Six new DRGs were introduced. The newly introduced DRGs belong mainly to the gastrointestinal, orthopedics, and pulmonary and airways fields;
• Eighteen new ZE categories (for drugs and blood components products only, none for medical technologies) were added to the catalog. Also, for one technology, the ZE category changed from the one with the tariff determined on the regional level to the ZE category with a nationally determined tariff;
• Annex 3a, which lists the DRGs with the tariffs determined on the regional level (for the cases requiring long-lasting hospitalization, e.g., severe burns or organ donation), was significantly extended – now it includes 35 more DRGs in comparison with 2023;
• A new annex (3c) was introduced, providing the nursing care valuation ratios for the hybrid DRGs (n=12).

Also, the catalog for risk adjustment for nursing care (care burden catalog) for 2024 was published.

Moreover, the InEK published the list of the new diagnostic and treatment methods (NUB) with approved status (status 1), which were integrated into the DRG system for 2024 in the form of an add-on reimbursement (ZE) categories. The list contains seven positions of drugs, one blood components product, and no medical technologies. The list of the requests for NUB with the granted statuses for 2024 is expected to be available in January-February 2024.

The full details in German can be found here and here.

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