We are happy to announce the start of the first Youtube channel dedicated to market access for medical devices, in-vitro diagnostic tests, and e-health solutions, “Market Access Insider”. In the first season of the program, we will weekly release videos of interviews with decision-makers, researchers, consultants, physicians and patient representatives on the topics of the payment system, health insurance, reimbursement pathways, health technology assessment and others in European countries. The first season will include interviews with experts from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Italian Ministry of Health, together with the national HTA agency, AGENAS, has published two Horizon Scanning reports in December 2018. Public consultations are open until May 25, 2019.

The 2019/20 national tariff payment system has been published and took on the 1st of April 2019. There have been no substantial changes to the proposed tariff consulted on during January and February 2019. Under the published tariff, blended payment will be the default payment approach for emergency care services.

At the beginning of April 2019, the Federal Cabinet has adopted the draft of a "Law on the Establishment of an Implants Registry in Germany and other amendments to the Fifth Book of the Social Code” (Implants Registry Establishment Law, Implantateregister-Errichtungsgesetz, EIRD).

In Sweden, the Centre for Assessment of Medical Technology (CAMTÖ) leads the development of HTA cooperation in healthcare region Uppsala-Örebro. Currently, CAMTÖ is working on several assessments related to the medical devices and technologies such as equipment for 3D Printing, robot Intuitive daVinci Xi etc. After the completion of assessment procedure, the reports will be published at the web-site of Örebro County Council.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) group develop and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New diagnostic codes concern circulating tumor DNA profile for the different type of cancers, myriad Prolaris test, PET Scan with florbetapir, etc. and a procedure code for robotic-assisted radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. The codes are introduced with a recommended adoption date being the 1st of May 2019. The documents also contain a list of textual changes in codes and an updated list of unacceptable combinations of codes.

The Innovation Fund in Germany was created in 2015 for the period from 2016 to 2019, with the primary aim to improve health care for policyholders and patients in statutory health insurance (SHI). In March 2019, the governing parties have agreed in the coalition agreement that the innovation funding should be continued at least until March 2021 with an annual budget of €200 million.

On the 14th of March of 2019, the Dutch National Health Care Institute has opened a project submission period in a framework of subsidy scheme called “Promising care.” This scheme makes it possible to obtain temporary financing for a maximum of 6 years for those treatment methods that look promising but are not yet reimbursed from the basic package. The period for submitting project ideas for promising care is from March 14 to May 14, 2019.

The Swiss innovation agency, InnoSuisse, reminds that the deadline for the application for financing of truly innovative projects is May 20, 2019. The Swiss Federal Council has ensured additional funding of CHF 24 million for 2019 and 2020 for the “Impulse digitalization programme.”

In April 2019, the Catalan Agency for Quality and Healthcare Evaluation, AQuAS, published a quick report with indication criteria for cochlear implants in children.

The Academic Health Science Networks in partnership with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) launched a report of the MedTech landscape aimed at accelerating the entry, adoption, and spread of innovations for the benefit of patients and commercial success.