Netherlands

The Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) will accept applications for subsidies under the incentive scheme "eHealth at Home" until the end of 2021. This scheme is intended for digital apps that support the provision of care at home for the elderly and people with chronic illness or disability.

On March 30, 2020, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland, ZIN) announced five projects which received a subsidy under the "Subsidy scheme for promising care" in 2021: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and in vivo exposure with response prevention in obsessive-compulsive disorder; MRI-guided laser-induced thermotherapy in glioblastoma; personalized treatment with selective internal radiotherapy in elderly or vulnerable colon cancer patients with liver metastases; structured, multidisciplinary and person-centered intensive care aftercare for patients at risk of health problems; Basophil Activation Test in children with possible IgE mediated cow's milk allergy.

To give researchers more tools to assess healthcare innovations' efficiency and demonstrate the effectiveness of novel technologies, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), in collaboration with the National Health Care Institute (ZIN), initiated the new HTA Methodology Program for 2021-2024.

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 the DRG system for 2021 (RZ21), the Dutch Healthcare Authority extended the ability to create innovative payment models via the "optional service" for the add-on reimbursement of some activities or devices that are not adequately covered existing DRG reimbursement.

On January 1, 2021, the DRG package for 2021 (RZ21) came into force to implement measures for remote provision of specialist medical care introduced during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, including four new codes for reimbursement of remote consultations.

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.

On November 3, 2020, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the critical features of the first release of the DRG package for the 2022 (RZ22a). Sixteen new procedure codes and three new DRG groups will be implemented.

On November 5, 2020, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the third release of the DRG package for the 2021 (RZ21c) to implement reimbursement for extra beds in intensive care and added the pathway for new optional add-on services (using fast-track decision-making).

In Sensible Care projects, the Dutch Healthcare Institute, together with other parties, is investigating the possibilities for improving care pathways for patients. As of early November 2020, there are 30 ongoing projects, including two projects for assessing knee and hip osteoarthritis treatment and medicines for castration-refractory prostate carcinoma at the final evaluation phase.

On October 14, 2020, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) announced the evaluation of personalized medicine and molecular diagnostics for advice on reimbursement under Basic Health Insurance.

On September 30, 2020, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland, ZIN) published the position that transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with aortic stenosis and a high risk of surgery is eligible for reimbursement under basic health insurance package.