Nephrology and Urology

In December 2025, the Danish Health Data Authority published the DRG tariff system (Takstsystem) guide, which provides an overall description of billing rules, tariffs, and grouping logic for 2026. Among other changes, 17 new DRGs were introduced in the nephrology and urology, obstetrics and gynecology, and some other fields.

On November 20, 2025, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog), which includes the list of DRGs and additional reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2026. Five new DRGs were introduced in the diagnostic imaging, men’s health, nephrology and urology, and radiotherapy fields. No new MedTech-related ZE categories were added to the catalog.

Since March 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) has been establishing new standards for vascular surgery and cancer treatment, resulting in the centralization of complex interventions only in hospitals that consistently demonstrate a high volume of such procedures. In November 2025, the seven regions agreed on which hospitals would provide complex cancer and vascular procedures starting in 2026, with a one-year transition period before the new care distribution began on January 1, 2027.

In the third quarter of 2025, the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT) initiated six Med Tech-related assessments in diagnostic imaging, endocrine, in-vitro diagnostics, nephrology and urology, and robotic surgery fields.

In August 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released three Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned nephrology and urology, endocrinology, radiotherapy, and neurosurgery fields.

In July 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released seven Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned nephrology and urology, pulmonology, gynecology, in-vitro diagnostics and e-Health fields.

In July 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new Interventional Procedures Guidance on pulsed-field ablation in atrial fibrillation, one new Early Value Assessment on digital technologies in anxiety and depression, and two new Late Stage Assessments (One-piece closed bags for colostomies, intermittent urethral catheters for chronic incomplete bladder emptying).

On July 15, 2025, the Austrian Institute for HTA (AIHTA) published four new HTAs (decision support documents) and two updates to previous decision support documents that provide recommendations regarding possible inclusion of new procedures in the reimbursement catalog of individual medical services (MEL). The assessments concerned cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, interventional radiology, men's health, urology, and orthopedics fields.

In January 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released two Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned a clinical decision support tool for lower urinary tract symptom in men and multi-cancer early detection tests for general population screening. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and informs NICE guidance.

In January 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Interventional Procedures Guidance (Transperineal laser ablation for lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, electrically stimulated intravesical therapy for interstitial cystitis or overactive bladder) and one new Early Value Assessment (Artificial intelligence technologies to help detect fractures on X-rays in urgent care). Furthermore, one new clinical guideline was published, and one was updated.

On December 12, 2024, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG, published the final (billing) version of the 2025 DRG system. In total, 23 new DRGs related to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nephrology and urology, neurology and neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonary and airways, and some other areas were introduced. Also, 17 new add-on reimbursement categories were implemented.

In October 2024, the annual update of the Swedish procedure coding system (Classification of Health Care Measures, KVÅ) was released to come into force on January 1, 2025. A total of 55 new surgical procedure codes and 43 new medical procedure codes were introduced concerning diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, ENT, men’s health, nephrology and urology, gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonology, and some other areas.