On July 3, 2023, the document "Changes and innovations in the 2024 LKF model" (Änderungen und Neuerungen in den LKF-Modellen 2024) was published. The document summarizes the most significant changes and innovations in the LKF model for inpatient and outpatient care. The newly added procedure codes mainly concern endoscopic procedures, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, and pulmonary and airways fields.

On July 1, 2023, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) updated the conditions of reimbursement for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM, commonly called flash glucose monitoring, FGM). Full coverage by health insurance became available to more patient categories.

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, Angelis et al. appraised the methodological changes proposed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in their recent review of HTA methods. The authors categorized proposed changes as critical, moderate, or limited updates and analyzed key decisions. The study found that most changes were appropriate and had a modest impact, although some decisions lacked justification. The authors emphasize the need for further research on certain topics and the importance of safeguarding NICE's role in resource allocation for valuable interventions while maintaining rigorous evidence standards.

On June 30, 2023, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities for healthcare research projects (five topics) and clinical guidelines (four topics).

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. calculated the marginal cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for different categories of care (primary care, locally commissioned secondary care, specialised services) using the data from 2016 and analysed the mortality response to healthcare expenditure on the three categories of care. The results revealed that additional investments in primary care and locally commissioned services are likely the most productive, suggesting the potential benefits of directing resources towards these categories of care.

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, Tervonen et al. aimed to establish good practices for developing rigorous quantitative benefit-risk assessments (qBRAs) and provide a checklist for their reporting. The study outlines the five main steps of qBRA development, including formulating the research question, selecting appropriate analysis models, evaluating attribute sets, choosing preference elicitation methods, and effectively communicating the results. In addition, the authors provided recommendations on each step and discussed suitable methods for preference elicitation, such as discrete choice experiments, threshold technique, and swing weighting.

On July 05, 2023, the new version of the List of reimbursable products and services (LPPR) was released. Five new reimbursement codes for reimbursement of digital medical devices for medical telemonitoring activities were introduced.

In June 2023, the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) published Health Services Research concerning the performance of the Belgian healthcare system. KCE regularly conducts such "check-ups" of the healthcare system in collaboration with Sciensano, the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV), and the FPS Public Health. The conceptual framework and the list of performance indicators were revised and updated.

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, Albuquerque de Almeida et al. studied the regulatory framework differences between medical devices and drugs in the European Union and their impact on clinical and HTA research. The authors identified varying approval standards for devices and drugs as well as fewer manufacturer-sponsored clinical studies and HTA-supported recommendations for medical devices compared to drugs. The study concludes that policy changes, such as the consensual classification of medical devices from an HTA perspective and the adoption of conditional coverage practices, could promote an integrated evidence-based assessment system and improve resource allocation in healthcare.

The revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog came into force on July 1, 2023. The most significant changes concern introducing the new EBM codes for several IVD tests, as well as for the cryopreservation of the ovarian tissue.

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. reviewed the topic of remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). The publication discusses the clinical benefits of RM, which include improved survival, early detection of actionable events, and more efficient healthcare utilization. The authors emphasized the need for appropriate reimbursement for RM device clinics and the implementation of universal alert programming and data processing to optimize patient care and device clinic workflows. The study concluded that RM should be considered the standard of care for managing patients with CIEDs and implementing adapted healthcare policies to ensure its future manageability.

On June 8, 2023, Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) published an updated List of reimbursable devices and Nominative lists of brands to come into force on July 1, 2023. Three new material codes concerning cardiovascular and spinal procedures were introduced. Several new branded devices were registered on the Nominative Lists connected to new and already existing material codes.