In October 2020, a mini-HTA report was published on “Early method evaluation” (Tidlig metodevurdering). The report proposes a novel type of “early method evaluation” to complement existing national and mini-HTA frameworks in Norway. This new assessment type can be performed before classical HTA. Early Method Evaluation can be used locally at department or hospital levels when new technology/innovation is tested to analyze the impact on patient, staff, finances before reliable evidence from clinical studies became available.

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).

On November 18, 2020, the 2020/21 National Tariff Payment System was published and came into effect in England. The publication has been delayed due to the NHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On November 04, 2020, NHS England published an update of the Specialized Services Policy Pipeline (as of October 19, 2020). Four new Clinical Commissioning Policies were added to the work program, six new policies were published, and one policy was discontinued.

The Government of the Russian Federation approved the Order of November 7, 2020, N 2892-r on budget allocations of over 800 million rubles for the provision of subsidies to subordinate institutions of Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) for the procurement of laboratory equipment in order to develop a sustainable system for the prevention, detection, and response to threats to the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population.

In early November 2020, the final version of the procedure coding system for 2021 was issued by the Norwegian Directorate for e-Health. Two new surgical procedure codes for laparoscopy and 17 for orthopedic procedures, two new radiology procedure codes, and nine new medical procedure codes were introduced.

In September 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new interventional procedure guidance (for transcranial magnetic stimulation for auditory hallucinations), one new medical technologies guidance (Axonics sacral neuromodulation system for treating refractory overactive bladder), one new diagnostic guidance (Implantable cardiac monitors to detect atrial fibrillation after cryptogenic stroke) and four Medtech innovation briefings (for Novii Wireless Patch System, t:slim X2 insulin pump and others). Also, three clinical guidance documents were updated.

In November 2020, the new intra-DRG was published on the website of the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health. A new chapter was added for urogenital implants - “Implantable devices for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.”

Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) initiated the health services research on facilitators and barriers for e-Health adoption by general practitioners. The project has been started in 2017 and is still ongoing.

In late October 2020, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) has published the final version of the OPS 2021 (Operation and Procedure Keys) system. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification), forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care.

On October 16, 2020, the Order of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health in relation to the new experiment on reinforced support for the elderly people (DRAD) was published in the Official Journal of the French Republic. The experiment offers a solution to elderly people with loss of autonomy who wish to stay at home, for whom "classic" support from home services is not more sufficient.

The Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA) is conducting a research project “Framework for reimbursement decisions of digital health technologies (mHealth) and its (retrospective) application on selected examples”. The project started in May 2020, with expected completion in November 2020.