The Danish Health Authority initiates key health reform tasks

In May 2025, it was announced that the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) is preparing technical proposals for three key initiatives under the health reform aimed at future-proofing the healthcare system.

The first is the National Health Plan, which will set a common and ambitious direction for the future health landscape over the next 8–10 years. Among other goals, the plan will help ensure easier access to the right treatment, bring care closer to people’s homes, and promote equal treatment for all.

Secondly, the Task description for general practice services will serve as a foundation for delivering consistently high-quality general medical care across the country, regardless of location. This work is closely linked to other elements of the health reform, including a new agreement model and revised fee structure for general practitioners.

The third is package pathways for people with chronic diseases (also referred to as chronic disease packages), which aim to support more coherent and effective care pathways for individuals with chronic conditions. The Danish Health Authority will develop five disease-specific package pathways to be rolled out over several years: 

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2027)
• Chronic low back pain (2027)
• Type 2 diabetes (2028)
• Heart disease (2029)
• Complex multimorbidity (2031)

In 2025, the Danish Health Authority will also design a generic model for chronic disease pathways, which will provide a common structure for the content of all five packages. This model will describe, among other elements, how the pathways are to be coordinated across relevant sectors, with a strong role for general practice. The work will also integrate digital solutions and data to support individualization, differentiation, and improved disease management.

The government reached an agreement on the health reform in November 2024. A wide range of stakeholders, including regions, municipalities, patient organizations, and other professional groups, have been invited to contribute to the development of these initiatives through follow-up groups. The new structure of the healthcare system is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

See the full details in Danish here.

This news is just one of about 300 market access news collected by our team in the premium subscription service Market Access Monitor every week from more than 80 organizations. Access our paid service to stay on top of all developments specifically for your products in Europe (reimbursement news) and globally (HTA news). Access is organized as an online Database and email alert formats. Contact us to get a free, three-month, no-obligation trial.