Feasibility of care as a criterion for coverage decision-making in the Netherlands

In December 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) opened the submission of applications for the subsidy round “Methodology development for appropriate care” of the Appropriate Care Framework program, intended for the development of new methodologies and conceptual frameworks that underpin future research and (policy) decision-making in appropriate care. The application deadline for the subsidy round is March 31, 2026.

In December 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England updated its manual on technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies. The scope and terminology were clarified, and further details were provided to support the production of technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies on HealthTech (that is, medical devices, diagnostics, digital technologies).

On December 10, 2025, the Ministry of Health published the Decree for the update of classification systems for diagnosis and procedure coding, effective in 2027, with updates scheduled at least every two years and the continued use of ICD-10-IM until the transition to ICD-11. Implementation will proceed through a pilot phase in 2025 and a nationwide rollout in 2026, supported by conversion tools from ICD-9-CM to ensure continuity, with ICD-9-CM entirely discontinued as of January 1, 2027.

On December 9, 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation on the government’s proposals to give ministers limited powers to direct the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in setting the standard cost-effectiveness threshold. Comments can be submitted online by January 13, 2026.

On November 20, 2025, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog), which includes the list of DRGs and additional reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2026. Five new DRGs were introduced in the diagnostic imaging, men’s health, nephrology and urology, and radiotherapy fields. No new MedTech-related ZE categories were added to the catalog.