The Evolving Health Technology Assessment Landscape for Medical Devices & Diagnostics: Summary report from APACMed Value-Based Market Access Symposium 2022.

Health systems across APAC are under pressure from inflation, supply chain shocks, and rising healthcare demand—forcing a shift toward value-based healthcare (VBHC). The 2022 APACMed Value-Based Market Access Symposium brought together stakeholders from over 15 markets to rethink how value is defined and measured in MedTech reimbursement.

Key themes included the urgent need for transparent, MedTech-specific health technology assessment (HTA) frameworks grounded in real-world evidence, and adaptable to diagnostics and digital health innovations—not just pharma. COVID-19 accelerated this shift by normalizing telehealth and at-home care, but MedTech assessments still lag due to outdated metrics.

Pan-regional case studies from China, India, Korea, and Australia highlighted diverse pathways to reform—from China's evolving DRG funding reforms to India’s use of VBHC in public insurance (ABPM-JAY), and Korea’s dual-track value appraisal based on clinical and functional innovation.

The report calls for collaborative, evidence-driven policy reform to ensure reimbursement reflects outcome-based value across care settings. With HTA still underdeveloped in many APAC markets, the MedTech industry is urged to lead dialogue, define context-specific metrics, and embed VBHC into procurement, pricing, and innovation strategy.