NIPT Reimbursement, Belgium
World's first universal NIPT reimbursement and a reference model across Europe.
🏆 Best Shared Practice – Roche EMEA–LATAM Medical Value Summit (2017)
The context.
By the mid-2010s, the clinical and ethical case for NIPT was strong, but the European landscape was a patchwork of partial reimbursement, age-based eligibility and out-of-pocket spend that kept the test out of reach for many women. Belgium had the opportunity to set a different benchmark but only if health-economic case, clinical alignment and political navigation moved as one.
What made the difference.
I led strategic access and policy efforts:
Global health economic dossier, designed and positioned the dossier that later became a reference model across Europe
KCE and national health authority alignment, worked with Belgium's federal health knowledge centre and national authorities to validate the evidence base
Multi-stakeholder messaging, narrative shaped for policymakers, clinicians and patient organisations so each conversation prepared the next
Principle.
Clinical alignment first. Payer dossier second. Political navigation third. No contradictions, no fragmentation.
Stakeholders aligned.
KCE • RIZIV/INAMI · federal cabinet • regional health authorities • gynaecologists • obstetricians • patient organisations
Outcome.
High-accuracy prenatal screening became widely accessible and affordable, setting a benchmark for equity in innovation. Thousands of women per year now access NIPT without out-of-pocket cost. The access dossier became a European reference model.