MTRC is pleased to announce that Markus Siebert, Founder of Metis Market Access, has joined forces with the company as Strategic Advisor. Markus brings more than 25 years of international leadership experience in reimbursement, health economics, and market access strategy across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Prior to launching Metis Market Access, Markus spent nearly nine years at Abbott as Senior Director Reimbursement & Healthcare Economics International, where he led reimbursement strategies and health economic evidence development across EMEA, Asia, and Australia.

On February 13, 2026, the Ministry of Health published an experimental version (so-called "Gamma") of new classification systems for diagnosis and procedure coding under the NSIS-CLASS project, launching the transition from ICD-9-CM. These systems will become mandatory for coding diagnoses and procedures from January 1, 2027, following a testing phase and the release of the final (“Delta”) versions by the end of 2026, with updates planned at least every two years.

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, Spineli critically examined limitations of the AMSTAR 2 appraisal tool, which is used to assess the methodological quality of systematic literature reviews.

In February 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new HealthTech Guidances (HTGs) on transcatheter tricuspid valve implantation, leadless cardiac pacemakers for bradyarrhythmia, and pulmonary artery pressure technologies for remote monitoring of chronic heart failure.

The application window for changes in the Swiss Classification of Surgical Operations (CHOP) will open on June 1, 2026. Interested parties can submit applications until September 14, 2026. The announcement of the 2026 CHOP application period resumes the application process, which was cancelled for the year 2025.

MTRC shares the most relevant and impactful publications in the field of market access and HEOR for medical technologies in Europe through its Health Economic Publications Digest. In a recent publication, Santos et al. systematically reviewed and mapped 26 frameworks for the economic evaluation of digital health technologies (DHTs) to identify methodological inconsistencies and inform more robust standards.

A new version of the Nomenclature of Medical Biology Procedures (NABM 102), effective from March 3, 2026, was published in France. Changes include the introduction of one new code and the deletion and modification of several codes.

In Germany, digital health applications (DiGAs) that can be prescribed by physicians and psychotherapists and reimbursed by statutory health insurers are listed in the Directory of Digital Health Applications maintained by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). As of February 23, 2026, a total of 61 apps are available in the Directory and thus eligible for reimbursement.

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, Dang et al. reviewed the implementation of Joint Clinical Assessments under the EU HTAR (Regulation 2021/2282), analyzing methodological, regulatory, and stakeholder implications across EU Member States.

In January 2026, the HTA body of Tuscany Regional Healthcare published two rapid HTA reports (one new assessment and one reassessment) on medical devices in the cardiovascular and surgical fields.

Our goal at MTRC is to inform the decision-making of our clients and to support their market access activities. Below is a snapshot of our planned activities for the next two weeks. This can help our existing and prospective clients understand the potential scope of our support better. From the week of February 23rd, we plan to work on 16 projects. Review the complete list of planned activities in this post.

On January 30, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMASGPK) and Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG) jointly presented the National Cancer Framework Program 2026-2035. It serves as a strategic compass, setting the direction for cancer control and care in Austria over the next ten years, although it is not legally binding. The Program comprises four areas of action, 22 objectives, and 113 measures.