On December 12, 2024, the Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) working group, which develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclatures for private payers in England, published Bulletins 199 and 095 with changes to be implemented no later than February 10, 2025. Five new procedure codes related to diagnostic imaging, robotic surgery, and peripheral vascular, as well as one new diagnostic code, were introduced.

On December 12, 2024, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG, published the final (billing) version of the 2025 DRG system. In total, 23 new DRGs related to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nephrology and urology, neurology and neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonary and airways, and some other areas were introduced. Also, 17 new add-on reimbursement categories were implemented.

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, Martin et al. examined three Early Access Programs in France designed to expedite patient access to innovative medical devices. These included Innovation Funding, which has granted temporary coverage to 16 out of 35 applications (46%) since 2015; Transitional Coverage (PECT), which has approved six out of 11 applications (64%) since 2021; and Transitional coverage for digital health applications (PECAN), introduced in 2022, which provided favorable coverage opinion for a telemonitoring solution in its first year. The authors highlighted how targeted funding and regulatory frameworks can bridge the gap between innovation and accessibility, offering valuable insights for the development of a harmonized European framework.

On December 3, 2024, the Member State Coordination Group on HTA released the 2025 Annual Work Programme for the new joint EU-level HTA framework (Regulation on Health Technology Assessment, HTAR). The framework will be fully operational from January 12, 2025.

MTRC, a Pan-European Med Tech market access consultancy, is opening a position of Director of Market Access and HEOR. We are looking for an experienced person with the understanding of market access and HTA processes in Europe both at micro- (understanding technical details and standards) and macro- (understanding the whole picture and customer needs) level. The candidate should be well versed in Med Tech or pharma industry, or life science consulting.

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, Farah et al. conducted a systematic literature review to analyze the suitability of health technology assessment (HTA) domains for AI-based medical devices. The authors highlighted the following key challenges: AI technological evolution timelines, data requirements, complexity and transparency, clinical validation and safety requirements, regulatory and ethical considerations, and economic evaluation. Addressing these barriers through an adapted HTA framework will ensure robust assessments, guide the implementation of AI technologies, and maximize their benefits for patients and healthcare systems.

The Danish Health Data Authority quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (SKS). The latest version was published in mid-December 2024 to come into force on January 1, 2025. Among other changes, thirty-two new procedure codes were introduced concerning diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, ENT, gastrointestinal, in-vitro diagnostics, neurology and neurosurgery, neuromodulation, surgical procedures, mental health, and some other 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 to understand the potential scope of our support better. From the week of the 30th of December, we plan to work on 17 projects. Review the complete list of planned activities in this post.

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, Vandenberk et al. examined the global determinants of remote monitoring (RM) utilization in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices through a survey of clinic personnel from 47 countries. The study revealed significant geographic variability in RM adoption, driven by economic factors, such as gross national income per capita and clinic funding models, along with differences between office-based and hospital-based settings. The authors emphasized the need for targeted efforts by all stakeholders to address disparities and enhance access to RM technologies worldwide.

On November 28, 2024, the updated version of the Finnish Laboratory Tests Nomenclature was published by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) to come into force on January 1, 2025. Six new codes were introduced.

On December 5, 2024, NHS England announced the next steps in delegating commissioning responsibilities for prescribed specialized services to local commissioners - integrated care boards (ICBs). These include the final list of 70 specialized services delegated to all ICBs starting from April 2025

On December 17, 2024, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) announced the submission of grant applications for the subsidy round “Effectiveness Study 2026” of the Efficiency Research program, which is intended for projects to increase knowledge for healthcare practice about the effectiveness and costs of interventions in the Netherlands. The deadline for the submission of the applications is March 4, 2025.