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News and blog posts

28
Dec 2023

New procedure codes in Finland from January 2024

On December 19, 2023, the updated Finnish classification of procedures (THL) was published to come into force on January 1, 2024. Thirty-two new procedure codes were implemented concerning cardiovascular, endoscopy, neurology, orthopedic, and other fields.
27
Dec 2023

Funding of 500 million DKK for home treatment with digital solutions in Denmark

In December 2023, the Government, Danish Regions, and Municipalities (KL) signed an agreement providing 500 million DKK from 2023 to 2028 to promote the spread of digital treatment services. This will include technologies for home monitoring and targeted control for patients with chronic diseases (such as diabetes, COPD, and heart failure), thus reducing the number of physical check-ups and preventing unnecessary hospitalizations.
25
Dec 2023

New procedure and diagnostic codes added to the private reimbursement schedule in England

In December 2023, the Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) working group, which develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclatures for private payers in England, published Bulletins with changes to be implemented no later than February 12, 2024. Five new procedure codes (concerning endoscopy, gastrointestinal, and spine) and one new in-vitro diagnostic code were introduced.
22
Dec 2023

The revised EBM catalog for the first quarter of 2024 published in Germany

On December 21, 2023, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the first quarter of 2024 was published. The most significant changes concern the update of Annex 2 of the catalog, the introduction of the new EBM codes for external electrical cardioversion in adult and pediatric patients, follow-up and evaluation of the health app companion patella, as well as a companion diagnostics test for genotyping to determine CYP2C19 metabolism status.
21
Dec 2023

Updates in the coverage of medical services in Switzerland in 2024

On November 29, 2023, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health published the changes that will occur to the Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which determines coverage of medical services in Switzerland. The updates will enter into force on January 1 or July 1, 2024, and they relate to the list of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 of KLV/OPre), outpatient-before-hospital services (Annex 1a), List of Tools and Equipment (Annex 2), and List of Analyses (Annex 3).
20
Dec 2023

New health economic assessments initiated in Sweden

On December 04, 2023, the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency initiated its work on a few more health economic assessments of Sedaconda-ACD by Sedana Medical, a disposable product for administering anesthetic gases for patients treated on a ventilator and an alternative to intravenous anesthetics as well as robotic systems for spine surgery, including ExcelsiusGPS by Globus Medical, Mazor X Stealth by Medtronic, Cirq by Brainlab. The assessments are planned to be accomplished during 2024.
19
Dec 2023

Next steps with the delegation of commissioning for specialised services to integrated care boards

On December 7, 2023, NHS England confirmed the next steps in delegating commissioning responsibilities for specialised services to local commissioners - integrated care boards (ICBs). In the first step, selected specialised services have been delegated to Joint Committees of ICBs and NHS England Regions since April 2023. The next steps include the full delegation of suitable services to certain ICBs from April 2024. Regardless of delegation status, NHS England will remain the accountable commissioner for specialised services and responsible for developing national service specifications and clinical commissioning policies.
14
Dec 2023

MTRC launched a service of digital health economic models

Market access eventually comes down to the hospital or individual payer level. Interactive digital tools are the essential instrument to present the value of medical technologies. MTRC launched a service of digital health economic models to present the clinical and economic value of medical technologies to hospital administrators and payers. MTRC combines an unparalleled knowledge of market access realities, drivers and barriers to the adoption of medical technologies, costing for healthcare services in 34 European countries, health economic technical expertise, and the capacity to develop nice-looking digital presentation tools at a moderate cost. See a live demo of the digital model on the website.
14
Dec 2023

MTRC launched Knowledge Zone with brief overviews of the market access landscape for key European countries

Market access is a rapidly changing field and the landscape varies from country to country. To provide an additional, easy-to-access source of high-level information about key themes in the market access landscape for medical technologies and in-vitro diagnostic tests, MTRC launched Knowledge Zone on the website. Currently, Knowledge Zone includes information about the payment model, funding (post-reimbursement approval by payers), and role of HTA for five key European countries: England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. In the coming weeks, the Zone will expand to other European countries.