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.

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.

Continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) and flash glucose monitoring (FGM) for adults with type 1 diabetes have been evaluated within the "New Methods" framework since June 2023. In November 2023, a simplified method assessment report was published. On December 11, 2023, the Decision Forum for "New Methods" recommended introducing rtCGM and FGM.

In November 2023, the Norwegian Directorate of e-Health released an updated version of the Norwegian Laboratory Code (NLK) system and associated tariffs to be implemented no later than January 1, 2024. Eighty-four new codes were added, 77 codes were amended, and 32 codes were terminated.

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.

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.

On November 22, 2023, the Swiss Federal Council approved the digital transformation program in the healthcare system to accelerate the implementation of the Swiss health data space. To implement the program over ten years (2025 – 2034), the Federal Council is applying to Parliament for a commitment loan of 392 million francs.

On December 1, 2023, the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) updated several articles of the Nomenclature. New procedure codes with reimbursement fees and associated conditions concerning cardiovascular, neurology, and obstetrics fields were added.

On November 29, 2023, the French National Authority for Health (HAS) published an update of the methodological guide on the assignment of the HAS label to a good practice recommendation developed by a professional organization.

On November 30, 2023, the entity managing the DRG system in Switzerland, SwissDRG, published the final version of the 2024 DRG system. In total, 34 new DRGs were introduced, and they concern cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, men’s health, nephrology and urology, neurology and neurosurgery, neuromodulation, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonary, and some other technology groups. Also, two new add-on reimbursement categories were introduced.

In November 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released one MedTech-related assessment in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned posterior hypofractionated whole breast radiotherapy for early breast cancer treatment. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and informs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

Health technology assessment plays an important role in market access for medical technologies in England. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the key HTA organization with several programs dedicated to the assessment of medical technologies. One of the key med tech-related programs at NICE is the Interventional Procedures Program. MTRC developed an analytical White Paper with a summary of clinical evidence requirements for Interventional Procedures Program at NICE.