Norway

In February 2025, the Ministry of Health and Care Services published a National Cancer Strategy for 2025-2030. The strategy outlines five key target areas with corresponding goals and actions. The target areas comprise pioneering cancer prevention and early detection, improving patient outcomes, enhancing user-oriented cancer care, increasing survival rates and longevity, and ensuring the best possible quality of life. The actions include the expansion of national screening initiatives, the accreditation of Comprehensive Cancer Centers, digital home monitoring, precision diagnostics, and the establishment of a national healthcare innovation hub.

In late January 2025, the Nordic Initiative for Environmental Labelling of Medical Supplies (NIELS) project was completed. The initiative was aimed to promote greener procurement of medical equipment by expanding the use of eco-labeling. Following its successful conclusion, the project is now considering opportunities to broaden the dialogue to a European level.

On February 21, 2025, the “New Method” framework published an annual summary of the Decision Forum and Ordering Forum work in 2024. Among 109 coverage decisions in 2024, only one was for Med Tech (Oncotype DX), while all others concerned pharmaceuticals.

In February 2025, the Decision Forum for the "New Methods" framework made a favorable coverage decision for transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (gammaCore) in the treatment of cluster headaches.

Starting January 12, 2025, Norway joined the EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation (HTAR) framework, a collaborative European initiative for method assessments. In 2024, a national working group assessed how to integrate HTAR into the "New Methods" framework. The Norwegian Medical Products Agency (NOMA) will be the key organization representing Norway and contributing to the development of Joint Clinical Assessments (JCAs) of medicines and medical devices.

On November 23, 2024, the Norwegian Directorate of Health released an updated version of the Norwegian Laboratory Code (NLK) system and associated tariffs to be implemented no later than January 1, 2025. Thirty-two new codes were added in the biochemistry, microbiology, clinical pharmacology, and immunology fields.

In November 2024, the following ongoing mini-HTA assessments for cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, e-health, gastrointestinal, in-vitro diagnostics, interventional radiology, men’s health, pulmonary and airways, robotic surgery, and some other fields are evaluated as a part of a framework for the managed introduction of innovations "New Methods" in Norway.

In October 2024, the Norwegian Directorate of Health published a preliminary version of the DRG system (Innsatsstyrt finansiering, ISF) for 2025. Two new DRGs concerning men’s health and dental areas will be introduced.

In October 2024, the Norwegian Directorate of Health released the Norwegian Clinical Procedure Coding (NKPK) system for 2025. A total of 15 new codes were introduced concerning cardiovascular, interventional radiology, neuromodulation, pulmonary, surgical procedures, and spine fields.

On September 23, 2024, the Norwegian Directorate of Health released an updated version of the Norwegian Laboratory Code (NLK) system. Sixty-nine new codes were added, and 209 codes were changed.

Molecular gene profile analysis (Oncotype DX) was evaluated within the "New Methods" framework starting in 2021. On August 26, 2024, the Decision Forum for "New Methods" recommended Oncotype DX to be introduced to predict the benefit of chemotherapy in postmenopausal patients with lymph node-positive, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HER2-) early-stage invasive breast cancer.

On June 26, 2024, the Norwegian Directorate of Health published its proposal to change the process of including new diseases in newborn screening. The key objective is making the process more dynamic, which requires regulatory and administrative amendments.