Cardiovascular procedures

On November 13, 2025, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) announced that the 2026 Hybrid DRGs catalog had been approved. A total of 47 new Hybrid DRGs were added, including those for appendectomy, cholecystectomy, as well as minimally invasive procedures on the coronary arteries and peripheral vessels. In the area of orthopedic procedures, Hybrid DRGs have been expanded to include fracture osteosynthesis

On October 24, 2025, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2026 OPS procedure coding classification. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, German Modification), forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care in Germany. Multiple new procedure codes were introduced in several fields, including cardiovascular, endoscopy, peripheral vascular, and orthopedics.

As of October 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) is working on coverage positions in several areas, including otorhinolaryngology, neurology, dental surgery, cardiovascular, and oncology fields.

The updated German Uniform Evaluation Standard (EBM) catalog came into force on October 1, 2025. The EBM catalog regulates the reimbursement of services in the public outpatient sector in Germany and is updated once a quarter (four times a year). Among other changes, a new code for the “ProHerz” health app was introduced.

On September 22, 2025, the final version of the document "Changes and innovations in the 2026 LKF model" was published. The main changes include the addition of 32 new procedure codes, the introduction of 19 procedure codes for billing in the day case settings, an update of case flat rates, and adjustments to the calculation of daily and procedural components per case. New procedure codes mainly concern e-health, endoscopy, interventional radiology, orthopedics, and pulmonology fields. No new DRGs were introduced, and two new provisional (NUB) codes were added.

On August 13, 2025, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the preliminary version of the 2026 OPS procedure coding classification. The OPS, together with the ICD-10-GM, forms the basis for the reimbursement systems in outpatient and inpatient care in Germany. The final version of the 2026 OPS procedure coding classification is expected to be published at the end of October 2025.

In August 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Late Stage Assessments on transcatheter heart valves for TAVI, bed frames in acute medical or surgical hospital wards, and compression products for venous leg ulcers.

In July 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new Interventional Procedures Guidance on pulsed-field ablation in atrial fibrillation, one new Early Value Assessment on digital technologies in anxiety and depression, and two new Late Stage Assessments (One-piece closed bags for colostomies, intermittent urethral catheters for chronic incomplete bladder emptying).

In June 2025, Belgian INAMI/RIZIV updated the List of implants and invasive medical devices. Four new reimbursement codes were added to the List in relation to heart valve replacement. Several Nominative lists of brands were updated as well in the fields of neuromodulation, neurovascular, orthopedic, and cardiovascular.

On April 8, 2025, the National Union of Health Insurance Funds issued an update to the Common Classification of Medical Procedures (CCAM), which serves as a reimbursement nomenclature for medical procedures in hospital and ambulatory settings. Changes include the introduction of new procedure codes, provisional registration of several procedure codes, and modification of existing services. Newly introduced procedure codes concern cardiovascular and peripheral vascular procedures, interventional radiology, ENT, and others. The update takes effect on July 1, 2025.

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) has released new recommendations about add-on reimbursement of medical devices and medical aids from the February 2025 meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies (CNEDiMTS). Sixteen favorable opinions were published concerning the registration or modification of registration conditions/extension of indications for the medical devices in the List of Reimbursable Products and Services (LPPR). They relate to cardiovascular and peripheral vascular, neurovascular, endocrinology, interventional radiology, nephrology and urology, orthopedic devices, and medical aids.

The French National Authority for Health (HAS) has released new recommendations about add-on reimbursement of medical devices and medical aids from the January 2025 meetings of the National Commission for Evaluation of Medical Devices and Health Technologies (CNEDiMTS). Seventeen favorable opinions were published concerning the registration or modification of registration conditions/extension of indications for the medical devices in the List of Reimbursable Products and Services (LPPR). They relate to cardiovascular, endocrine, e-health, interventional radiology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedic devices, and medical aids.