Netherlands

In the first and second quarters of 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published three coverage positions concerning the ENT, gastrointestinal, and in-vitro diagnostic fields. Two of the three decisions (Internal nasal valve correction for airway blockage and molecular diagnostics of the NTRK gene fusion in cancer patients) received favorable recommendations for coverage under basic health insurance.

In May 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published the Advice on considering staff deployment and sustainability criteria when assessing whether to reimburse medical procedures and technologies from basic health insurance. Since May 2025, ZIN has initiated a three-year trial to incorporate these criteria into the assessment process, with an interim evaluation after 1.5 years to be discussed with the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport.

In May 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) opened the submission of grant applications for the subsidy round of the Appropriate Care Framework program (2024–2028), which focuses on (de)implementation activities for medical technologies reimbursed under basic health insurance. The deadline for submitting a detailed grant application is July 3, 2025.

In May 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published the Trendwatch Report on Healthcare Innovations in Specialist Medical Care, identifying 316 MedTech innovations across 11 clusters, with AI-driven diagnostics, predictive models, and image-guided therapy predicted to have the highest impact in the medical specialist care, while also highlighting significant risks associated with assistive robotics and wearable monitoring technologies for inclusion in basic health insurance.

In May 2025, the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport provided further details on terminating "Subsidy Scheme for Promising Care". The program will be discontinued as of January 1, 2026, without any follow-up measures or financing. No new rounds for submission of proposals will be available. Nothing will change for the 28 ongoing projects and projects expected to be awarded later in 2025 as a result of the last completed rounds.

On May 01, 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the first release of the 2026 DRG package (RZ26a). Three new procedure codes, seven new supplementary payments (OZPs), one new diagnosis code, and two new DRGs will be implemented across in-vitro diagnostics, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery, cardiovascular and other technology groups.

In April 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) opened the submission of grant applications for subsidy rounds for two Med Tech-related programs: the Innovative Medical Devices Initiative (IMDI) program and the Care Evaluation and Appropriate Use program.

On December 19, 2024, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published the updated list of medical procedures reimbursed under basic health insurance with restrictions or limitations. The procedures have the so-called "claim" codes (aanspraakcodes). The Dutch Healthcare Authority assigns the "claim" codes based on positions published by the ZIN. The changes included the introduction of one new procedure code.

On December 17, 2024, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) announced the submission of grant applications for the subsidy round “Effectiveness Study 2026” of the Efficiency Research program, which is intended for projects to increase knowledge for healthcare practice about the effectiveness and costs of interventions in the Netherlands. The deadline for the submission of the applications is March 4, 2025.

In November 2024, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published an updated regulation and policy framework for small-scale experiments to introduce innovations, which will enter into force on January 01, 2025. The small-scale experiments for introducing innovations apply to innovative medical procedures that improve the organization and provision of patient care (including online consultation, telemonitoring, home neuromodulation, school counseling, etc.) but do not have enough evidence to obtain coverage within basic health insurance.

In October 2024, the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport decided to discontinue the "Subsidy scheme for promising care," which was implemented in 2019 to support the development of missing clinical and economic evidence for promising care that otherwise cannot be covered within basic health insurance. There are 28 ongoing projects, and some new projects will be awarded the subsidy in the 2025 round.

On October 01, 2024, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the second release of the 2025 DRG package (RZ25b), which implemented a new procedure code for supporting joint decision-making in outpatient specialist care and supplementary payment proactive planning of palliative care.