On March 26, 2026, NHS England published the final version of the 2026/27 NHS Payment Scheme, effective from April 1, 2026. While the overall payment model remains largely unchanged, several targeted updates have been introduced. These include new blended payments for urgent and emergency care, radiotherapy, and genomic testing, as well as two new Best Practice Tariffs (BPTs) to incentivize day case procedures and support 10 Year Health Plan referral-to-treatment (RTT) priorities.

The Danish Health Data Authority quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (SKS). The latest version was published in mid-March 2026 to come into force on April 1, 2026. Among other changes, 32 new procedure codes concerning extracorporeal treatments, interventional radiology, ICU/OR, ophthalmology, pulmonary and airways, surgical procedures, and some other fields were introduced.

In March 2026, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published regulations on the budgetary funding for emergency care. The final financial result is determined by the revenue from the provisional budget (set in advance) and the final budget (determined after the end of the year). A new supplementary payment with a fixed, provider-specific tariff will be introduced for the billing and calculation of budgets of ER departments. The regulations enter into force on July 1, 2026.

In March 2026, the SwissDRG, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, announced that it would be accepting applications for changes from June 1, 2026, until July 13, 2026. The results of the DRG applications made in 2026 will be reflected in the 2028 version of the SwissDRG.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Cresswell et al. reviewed global regulatory and HTA policies on real-world evidence use.

In February 2026, the French Ministry of Health, Family, Autonomy, and People with Disabilities announced three new experiments under Article 51 of the Social Security Financing Act. They relate to nephrology and neuro-orthopedics, and to the provision of care to discharged, dependent, elderly individuals experiencing loss of autonomy or chronic illness.

As of March 2026, the Scottish Health Technologies Group is working on health technology assessments in several areas, including diagnostic imaging, e-health, endoscopy, ENT, in-vitro diagnostics, and radiotherapy.

In March 2026, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated the List of implants and invasive medical devices, effective April 1, 2026. One new material code was introduced for radiofrequency ablation of benign thyroid nodules. Nominative lists of brands were updated as well, with new devices added in the cardiovascular, neurovascular, orthopedics, and some other fields.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its EU HTA Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Julian et al. developed a stakeholder-centric framework of key performance indicators to support implementation of the EU HTA Regulation across Europe using a modified Delphi approach.

On March 23, 2026, the Norwegian Directorate of Health released an updated version (v.79) of the Norwegian Laboratory Code (NLK) system, along with associated tariffs, for both state and private laboratories. A total of 63 new codes were added in the biochemistry, microbiology, clinical pharmacology, and immunology fields.

In late February 2026, NHS England updated the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC) guidance, following a 2024 review and industry engagement. This simplifies the assessment by introducing a new DTAC form with 25% fewer questions and removing duplication with other processes. The revision also provides clearer guidance on DTAC’s purpose, scope, and how to complete assessments, and aligns the scope with NICE standards, focusing on software-based digital health technologies. The previous version of the DTAC form should not be used after April 6, 2026.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Michels et al. explored how academic literature conceptualizes the role of HTA agencies in governing medical technologies across Europe.