Germany

In late November 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for two completed projects. The projects were dedicated to relieving the burden of emergency rooms and improving infection surveillance in nursing homes.

In late November – early December 2024, the application period for 2026 ICD-10-GM (German modification of ICD-10 diagnosis codes), OPS (procedure codes), and DRG changes was opened by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and the Institute for Hospital Remuneration Systems (INeK), respectively.

On November 21, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced that a total of fifty applications for Innovation Funding for the new forms of care in one- and two-stage procedures were accepted.

On October 24, 2024, the BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) published the final version of the 2025 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, endoscopic, peripheral vascular, and robotic surgery.

On October 14, 2024, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the DRG catalog (Fallpauschalen-Katalog) with the list of DRGs and additional reimbursement categories (ZEs) for 2025. Three new DRGs were introduced in the endoscopy and ophthalmology fields.

On October 1, 2024, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the fourth quarter of 2024 was published. The changes introduced mainly concerned updates of the contents (services legends, preambles of the several EBM subchapters). The newly introduced EBM codes relate to the co-funded study on cold plasma treatment for chronic wounds.

On September 16, 2024, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV-Spitzenverband) announced that they had reached an agreement in financing negotiations concerning outpatient care.

On September 2, 2024, the Institute for Hospital Remuneration Systems (INeK) announced the start of the application process according to §6 (2) KHEntgG (New Examination and Treatment Methods, NUB) for 2025.

In mid-August 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for another four completed projects. The projects were dedicated to the topics of support for families with a parent suffering from cancer, modeling routine risk screening in children, reducing problematic media use, promoting treatment motivation in people with computer game addiction and Internet addiction, and follow-up care for gestational diabetes.

In late June – mid-July 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the decisions recommending the transfer to standard care for another three completed projects. The projects were dedicated to the topics of care concept for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa), the use of webcams in neonatal intensive care units, and improving the pharmacovigilance of innovative therapies.

On June 21, 2024, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities for healthcare research projects (eight topics) and clinical guidelines (three topics).

On July 2, 2024, the revised EBM (German Uniform Evaluation Standard) catalog for the third quarter of 2024 was published. The changes introduced mainly concern updating the content of several EBM sections with the respective comments and/or clarifications and introducing the new EBM codes for several companion diagnostics tests, for follow-up and evaluation of the “Kranus Lutera” health app, and for the services provided within the co-funded study on bronchoscopic lung volume reduction in severe pulmonary emphysema using thermal ablation (rp-RL BTVA).