New procedure codes in Belgian Nomenclature came into force in March 2020

In March 2020, the Nomenclature was updated. The update brought changes regarding the creation of new codes, deletion of codes, modification of existing codes, and reimbursement conditions.

The health benefit Nomenclature of the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) includes the services (with specific hospital and ambulatory codes) that are reimbursed by the compulsory health care insurance, wholly or partially. The Nomenclature and its changes are published in the Belgian Official Gazette.

The changes of the following articles of the Nomenclature come into force on March 1, 2020:

• Article 1 “General”
• Article 14 “Otorhinolaryngology”
• Article 17 “Radiology”
• Article 18 “Radiotherapy and radium therapy – nuclear medicine”
• Article 24 “Clinical biology”
• Article 32 “Anatomical pathology”
• Article 33 “Genetic examinations”

Key changes in the General (1) article:

• Modifications of §8 regarding the period of essential medical documentation keeping – it should be at least five years (reports, documents, plots, graphics mentioned in the nomenclature, X-ray and laboratory analysis results)

Key changes in the Otorhinolaryngology (14) article:

• Modifications of existing codes were made (video head impulse test, VHIT) was added to the labyrinth examination 257611-257622)
• New reimbursement conditions were added

Key changes in the Radiology (17) article:

• Minor modifications of reimbursement conditions were made, according to Article 1 §8 changes

Key changes in the Radiotherapy and radium therapy – nuclear medicine (18) article:

• Minor modifications of reimbursement conditions were made, according to Article 1 §8 changes

Key changes in the Clinical biology (24) article:

• Minor modifications of reimbursement conditions were made, according to Article 1 §8 changes

Key changes in the Anatomical pathology (32) article:

• The following code was added:

589853-589864 “Fees for cytopathological screening examination for neoplastic cells in cervico-vaginal sample, using the liquid phase cytology, regardless of the number of samples”

• Modifications of existing codes were made
• One code was removed - 588350 – 588361
• Minor modifications of reimbursement conditions were made, according to Article 1 §8 changes

Key changes in the Genetic examinations (33) article:

• Minor modifications of reimbursement conditions were made, according to Article 1 §8 changes

See the full details here.

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