In November 2020, the Innovation and Technology Payment (ITP) program for 2020/21 was released by NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative. ITP 2020/21 builds on the Innovation and Technology Tariff (ITT) and ITP 2019/20; eight products will continue to be supported. Additionally, two digital technologies received continued support through the Evidence Generation Fund.

On October 30, 2020, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) published the 2021 version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature in French and Italian. The version in the German language was published in July 2020. The most important changes regard cardiovascular and peripheral vascular interventions.

On November 9, 2020, in accordance with §137h Paragraph 6 SGB V, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has initiated an evaluation procedure for endovascular implantation of a stent-graft with valve element in tricuspid valve insufficiency within the framework of the early benefit assessment.

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.