The National Health Insurance Company (CNAM) will have a new duty. This refers to the assessment of health technologies and the provision of information in the decision-making process with reference to the allocation of financial means from the compulsory health insurance funds for the procurement of health services based on the most efficient technologies. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the CNAM statute, IPN reports.

The Health Technology Assessment Mechanism is applied at international level both in the case of medicines and medical devices, as well as charges, medical services, public health programs, etc. CNAM currently uses this mechanism in the field of compensated medicines and medical devices. The assessment of a pharmaceutical product for inclusion in the list of compensated products takes place in terms of safety, cost-efficiency and budgetary impact analysis.

“Among the benefits to be obtained as a result of CNAM’s exercise of the new duty are the identification of the most efficient and safe technologies available on the market, the optimization of the cost-benefit ratio in the use of financial resources and the increase in the quality of health services,” reads a press release from the Company.

The health technology assessment function will facilitate the exercise by CNAM of two other duties. It goes to the negotiation of offers regarding the provision of health services in the compulsory health insurance system, as well as the negotiation of the price of compensated medicines and medical devices.