Innovation funding

Germany has clarified the timing of the planned expansion of the §137h early benefit assessment. For the current NUB application period, the procedure will continue to apply only to new inpatient methods involving high-risk medical devices. Once the amended G-BA Rules of Procedure take effect, expected from the next application cycle, the assessment will broaden to new methods based on a new theoretical scientific concept and will no longer be limited to high-risk devices.

On July 30, 2026, the Statutory Health Insurance Contribution Rate Stabilization Act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz) entered into force, introducing important changes to the assessment of new examination and treatment methods associated with NUB applications under §137h SGB V.

On June 19, 2026, the Innovation Committee at the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) published the determined funding priorities for healthcare research projects and clinical guidelines.

On July 10, 2026, the German Bundestag passed the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) Contribution Rate Stabilization Act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz). During the parliamentary process, additional fiscal measures were incorporated into the legislation after it was approved by the Federal Cabinet to close the funding gap that had widened in the interim.

On April 17, 2026, the Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) announced the opening of the application period for proposed topics for upcoming funding announcements in the areas of healthcare services research and new forms of care.

On January 30, 2026, the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System (InEK) published the list of innovation funding (NUB) requests submitted by hospitals in 2025. The medical technologies of cardiovascular, endoscopy, extracorporeal, gastrointestinal, neuromodulation, peripheral vascular, and other technology groups obtained a positive status 1.

In January 2026, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) awarded fourteen projects under the “Implementation round 3” of the Efficiency Research program, including the MedTech projects in e-health, gastrointestinal, oncology, neurosurgery, IVD, and cardiovascular fields.

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.

In September 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) awarded eighteen projects under the first round of the Medical Specialist Care and Research program concerning e-health, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and interventional radiology areas.

On September 1, 2025, 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 2026.

In August 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) awarded seventeen projects under the subsidy round “Preparatory implementation activities Round 1” of the Appropriate Care Framework program. Awarded projects include e-health, men’s health, in-vitro diagnostic, and other fields.

In July 2025, the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) awarded twelve projects under the 2026 round of the Efficiency Research program concerning e-health, diagnostic imaging, gastrointestinal, endoscopy, orthopedics, gynecology, pulmonology, and cardiology fields.