MRI-guided focused ultrasound

In mid-December 2025, a new version of the Common Classification of Medical Procedures (CCAM v.81), effective January 1, 2026, was published. Multiple changes were implemented, including the introduction of four new procedure codes, the provisional registration of four codes, the deletion of a few codes, the modification of tariffs for numerous activities/phases, and the amendment of existing services.

In late October 2025, the Decision Forum for the "New Methods" framework made a favorable coverage decision for magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS, ExAblate Neuro by Insightec) for the treatment of essential tremor.

As of October 2025, the Swedish Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency is working on health technology assessments in several areas, including endocrine, e-health, and neurology procedures.

In May 2025, the evaluation phase of the “New Methods” framework was completed for three technologies: leadless pacemaker for cardiac arrhythmias, MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor, and Electrical Field Therapy for glioblastoma treatment. As the recommendations from HTA are now available, the Decision Forum needs to make coverage decisions for these technologies.

In the first quarter of 2025, the Swedish Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV) published two health technology assessments in the robotic surgery field and proceeded with working on HTAs in the e-health, endocrine, and neurosurgery fields.

In December 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedures Guidance (Direct skeletal fixation of limb prostheses using an intraosseous transcutaneous implant, MRI-guided focused ultrasound subthalamotomy and thalamotomy for treating Parkinson’s), one new Diagnostic Guidance (Home-testing devices for diagnosing OSAHS) and one new Early Value Assessment (Digital technologies to support self-management of COPD).

On May 6, 2024, the Swedish Medical Technologies Product (MTP) Council commissioned the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV) to perform a health economic evaluation of MR-guided focused ultrasound (Exablate Neuro) for the treatment of patients with essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. This evaluation is a part of the Orderly introduction framework, a staged process aimed at managing the national introduction of novel technologies. Based on the TLV assessment, the MTP Council will make recommendations to regions regarding the implementation of the technology and the criteria for use.

In March 2024, several method assessments were initiated as a part of a framework for the managed introduction of innovations "New Methods" for cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, men’s health, neurology and neurosurgery, neuromodulation, obstetrics and gynecology, robotic surgery, and some other fields.

On November 1, 2023, thirteen new procedure codes came into force in the updated Finnish classification of procedures (THL). The introduced codes concerned diagnostic imaging, radiology, neurology, peripheral vascular, and other fields.

The “New Methods” framework invited interested parties to submit information regarding magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for treating intracranial tumors, neurodegenerative disease, and pain related to bone metastases before October 31, 2023. Ordering Forum will then decide whether the method will undergo evaluation at the national level.

In September 2023, the Skåne University Hospital is working on several HTAs, including evaluations in the cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, men’s health, neurology and neurosurgery fields

On July 17, 2022, the Austrian Institute for HTA (AIHTA) published four decision support documents, which provide recommendations regarding the inclusion of new medical interventions in the catalog of individual medical services of the performance-oriented hospital financing (Leistungsorientierten Krankenanstaltenfinanzierung, LKF) model, as well as three updates to previous decision support documents.