Switzerland News

HTA protocol on Betahistine or cinnarizine with or without dimenhydrinate for patients with Ménière’s disease/syndrome and symptoms of vestibular vertigo and/or tinnitus

Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance reimburses the use of betahistine and cinnarizine on patients with symptoms of vertigo, tinnitus and/or hearing loss through Ménière’s disease and other conditions. The use of cinnarizine combined with dimenhydrinate is also reimbursed for the symptomatic treatment of transient vertigo. The clinical effectiveness of these drugs is, however, unclear. An HTA protocol was recently issued on this topic. The protocol describes the approach which will be used in the subsequent HTA report, which will consider the effectiveness, appropriateness, and economic efficiency of these therapies for patients with Ménière’s disease or Ménière’s syndrome, vestibular vertigo and/or tinnitus.

To the protocol

This year, too, we will see international conferences in the HTA field. The annual meeting of the Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Society will be held in Seville, Spain from 15 to 19 June; and immediately thereafter, the same venue will host the annual gathering of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) on 19 and 20 June. Further details about our collaborations with international HTA networks can be found on our website.

To the FOPH’s "HTA networks" webpage

Services Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which determines coverage of medical services in Switzerland will have the following updates July 1, 2024, and include the following:?

• Minor changes in the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance (KLV/OPre), which relate to the provision of medical aids by chiropractitians, prophylactic vaccination, cancer prevention measures, such as risk-reducing mastectomy, and prenatal screening;
• Changes in Annex 1 of the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance (list of explicitly evaluated services):Detailed indications were provided for the spinal fusion using interbody cages or bone grafts;Coverage of Evidence Development was extended for autologous fat transplantation for postoperative breast reconstruction and multigene expression test in breast cancer;One new service was introduced to the section “Plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery”;One new service was added to the section “Cardiology”;
• Changes in Annex 1a of the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance (outpatient-before-hospital services):Many new CHOP codes were added to the chapters for vascular intervention and examinations and interventions on the uterus;
• Changes in Annex 2 of the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance (List of Tools and Equipment):The nerve stimulation device category was renamed and restructured with new devices added, e.g., trigeminal neuromodulation (e-TNS) device with consumables.
• Changes in Annex 3 of the Healthcare Benefit Ordinance (List of Analyses):Changes in prescription conditions concerning midwives;Changes in conditions for the provision of various genetic tests and rare disease testing;Two new tests for porphyria were introduced.

More details can be found?here .