High-intensity focused ultrasound

The Danish Health Data Authority quarterly updates the Health Care Classification System (SKS). The latest version was published in mid-June 2026 to come into force on July 1, 2026. Among other changes, 54 new procedure codes concerning cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, gastrointestinal, interventional radiology, men’s health, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, surgical procedures, dermatology, and some other fields were introduced.

On June 9, 2026, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health published changes to the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which determines coverage of medical services in Switzerland. The nearest changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, and include the introduction of the first-trimester preeclampsia screening and adjustment of the tariffs for the highest-grossing laboratory analyses (Annex 3 KLV), changes in reimbursement conditions for medical aids via the List of Medical Aids MiGel (Annex 2 KLV), as well as the expansion of the outpatient-before-inpatient policy (Annex 1a KLV) and update of coverage decisions on the List of explicitly evaluated services (Annex 1 KLV).

On January 14, 2026, the French Ministry of Health, Family, Autonomy and People with Disability published the Order setting DRG tariffs and tariffs for other packages and supplements for 2026. The released tariffs are in effect from January 1, 2026, and include new, higher DRG tariffs for several procedures, such as HIFU destruction of prostate lesions, as well as updates to packages for organ perfusion technologies for transplantation.

On July 10, 2025, a decision of the National Union of Health Insurance Funds regarding the update of the CCAM Classification of Medical Procedures was published. The update includes the provisional registration of one procedure code for transrectal HIFU destruction of prostate lesions and changes to indications and billing notes for several existing codes. The update takes effect on September 1, 2025.

In May 2025, the evaluation phase of the “New Methods” framework was completed for three technologies: leadless pacemaker for cardiac arrhythmias, MR-guided focused ultrasound for essential tremor, and Electrical Field Therapy for glioblastoma treatment. As the recommendations from HTA are now available, the Decision Forum needs to make coverage decisions for these technologies.

On May 01, 2025, the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) published the first release of the 2026 DRG package (RZ26a). Three new procedure codes, seven new supplementary payments (OZPs), one new diagnosis code, and two new DRGs will be implemented across in-vitro diagnostics, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology and neurosurgery, cardiovascular and other technology groups.

On May 23, 2024, the 2024 working plan was published by the Spanish Network of HTA Agencies (RedETS). Topics in cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, e-health, endoscopy, ENT, extracorporeal treatments, ICU/OR, in-vitro diagnostics, interventional radiology, men’s health, neurology and neurosurgery, neuromodulation, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, peripheral vascular, pulmonary and airways, radiology, radiotherapy, robotic surgery, spine, surgical procedures, and some other fields are included in the plan.

In February 2024, the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (OSTEBA) is working on several HTAs, including evaluations in the cardiovascular, e-health, ENT, IVD, and some other fields.

On February 08, 2024, the Austrian Institute for HTA (AIHTA) published the 2023 annual HTA report. The report contains AIHTA works, activities, and publications in 2023, including medical technologies belonging to technology groups such as robotic surgery, diagnostic imaging, and neurology.

In December 2023, the Dutch Healthcare Institute (ZIN) published two coverage positions on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in patients with essential tremor with positive recommendation for coverage under basic insurance package, and on radiotherapy with magnetic resonance linear accelerator, which was not recommended for coverage under the basic insurance package.