The Healthcare Payer Negotiations Course
With Dr Stefan Walzer
Course Details
THE CONTENT
For professionals working in market access, strong negotiation skills are key to engaging effectively with payers and securing outcomes that support both patient access and your company’s strategic goals.
This one-day course is designed to address the specific complexities of healthcare payer negotiations. Grounded in real-world pharma experience, it will strengthen your ability to navigate payer negotiations with clarity, confidence, and impact. Through a combination of structured guidance, scenario-based exercises, and expert insights, the course equips you with the tools to adopt a collaborative, strategic, and effective negotiation approach.
THE EXPERT
Dr Stefan Walzer is a recognised expert in healthcare market access and payer negotiation strategy.
He is the founder and CEO of MArS Market Access & Pricing Strategy GmbH, a niche consultancy that focuses on optimising market access, pricing strategies, and reimbursement processes. He has been teaching market access and negotiations since 2012 and developed AI-based systems and tools to empower market access negotiators.
Stefan has held pivotal roles, including Global Payer Strategy Leader at F. Hoffmann–La Roche AG. He is the author of over 40 peer-reviewed articles and more than 400 abstracts.
He holds a PhD in Health Economics from the University of Zurich, along with degrees from the University of Tübingen and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
THE AUDIENCE & INTERACTIVE LEARNING FORMAT
This course is purposely designed for professionals in market access and related roles who engage with healthcare payers.
Whether you are preparing for your first negotiation or looking to improve or refine your current approach, the course provides a practical and supportive environment for learning.
You will benefit from:
Peer learning from international colleagues from other pharma companies facing similar challenges
Interactive group exercises and real-world negotiation scenarios
Expert feedback tailored to your performance
Understand core negotiation principles and styles: Gain foundational knowledge of what negotiation entails and how to navigate different negotiation styles.
Develop and apply a structured negotiation strategy: Learn to define clear goals, build strong BATNAs/ZOPAs, and use tactical tools to manage objections and maintain dialogue.
Tailor negotiation approaches to healthcare payer contexts: Explore the specific dynamics of healthcare negotiations.
Challenge common payer negotiation myths and biases: Identify and dismantle misconceptions about payer negotiations while learning to foster empathy and understanding.
Practise and refine negotiation skills through real-world exercises: Collaborate on case-based simulations involving pharma products to create and execute negotiation strategies.
| Welcome & Introductions (~30 min) |
| Negotiation Fundamentals (~30 min) |
|
| Developing an Effective Negotiation Strategy (~1 h) |
|
| Planning and Preparing the Healthcare Payer Negotiation Process (~30 min) |
|
| Payer Negotiation Strategy Exercise (~45 min) |
Participants will be divided into groups of three and work in break-out rooms. Each group will develop negotiation strategies for different negotiation styles for the following scenarios:
For each scenario, a product profile will be handed out to participants, including mode of administration, dosing, number of patients, suggested price range, and clinical data. You will learn from the feedback you will get from both expert and peers. In addition, the expert will present his recommendations. |
| Lunch Break |
| Dismantling Myth No. 1 in Healthcare Payer Negotiations: “The Other Side is the Enemy!” (~30 min) |
|
| Dismantling Myth No. 2 in Healthcare Payer Negotiations: “The Other Side Always Lies!” (~30 min) |
|
| Interactive Payer Negotiation Exercise (~2 h) |
Building on the earlier Payer Negotiation Strategy Exercise, each group will first prepare the negotiation for each scenario. Each group will then implement the negotiation with the expert as the payer at the other side, and with the other participants having the opportunity to contribute at the payer side. After each negotiation round, the expert will deliver a rating for how the group performed, along with his recommendations. |
| Wrap-up Discussion and Final Q&A (~15 min) |
26 November 2025
Live online (CET timing)
Early bird € 1 470
(Full fee € 1 670)
(until 24/10/2025)
Group Discount:
Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.
Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details.
Information about Locations and Timing:
Live online CET courses take place on Zoom between 9 AM and 5 PM CET (Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris time zone).
Live online EST courses take place on Zoom between 8 AM and 4 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time).
Face-to-face courses are held in the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport hotel (Da Vincilaan 4, 1831 Brussels) running from 9 AM to 5 PM CET. We have an agreement with this hotel to offer beneficial room rates.
You will receive all practical details after your registration.
For any questions related to the above, please do not hesitate to email Margherita Mutto or contact her by phone at +32 472 03 11 38 .
How to Register
Click the green "Register" button on the course session of your preference or download the offline version of the registration form here.
The registration wizard will guide you through the personal and company data that we need to process your registration.
You have the choice between 2 payment options:
Payment by credit card. You will not be required to pay immediately, but you will receive a secured payment link together with the invoice.
Payment via bank transfer
Click "Register Now". You will be sent an automatic email confirming your registration followed by a personal email containing an invoice and further payment instructions.
For assistance with your registration, please email Annelies Swaan or contact her by phone at +32 486 98 52 49.
Included in the Registration Fee:
For live online courses:
Access to a virtual small-class (max 20 participants), expert led course in real-time, using an interactive platform for break-out rooms, whiteboard exercises, polling, plenary discussions and chats.
Course material will be provided to you in both digital format (by email) and in hard copy (by post, so you can make notes during the course).
Certificate of attendance signed by the expert and CELforPharma.
VAT Information
The prices on our website are excluding VAT. Depending on the format of the course (face-to-face in Brussels or live online or self-study programme) and your location, we are obliged by Belgian law to apply VAT.
We are obliged by Belgian law to apply VAT in the following cases:
Face-to-Face public course organised in Belgium
Article 53 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112 states that : “The place of supply of services in respect of admission to cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific, educational, entertainment or similar events, such as fairs and exhibitions, and of ancillary services related to the admission, supplied to a taxable person, shall be the place where those events actually take place.”
If the course that you register for takes place in Belgium, we are obliged to charge 21% Belgian VAT.
However, you can recover this Belgian VAT through the refund procedure. Note that this procedure differs depending on the country where you are located. It is best to contact your local VAT administration for this.
Online Public courses - live webinar
Webinars where the participants can communicate among themselves or ask questions to the speaker(s) (be it verbally, via a chat function or similar), are considered as ‘a service supplied by electronic means’ by the Belgian VAT administration.
According to Article 56 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112, these services supplied by electronic means take place where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Self-Study Programme:
A self-study programme is a service provided electronically. It is the period of self-study that is the most important in our self-study Basics of Health Economics and not the kickoff and closing webinars. As a result, the place of the service is where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Group Discounts
Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.
Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details.
Transfer & Cancellation Policy
Flexible Transfer
If a registrant is unable to attend the scheduled course, they can avoid any cancellation charges by providing a suitable replacement participant.
Alternatively, the registrant may transfer once, on a 'space-available' basis and at no extra cost, to another course of the same value held within one year of the original course date, provided this is done at least three weeks prior to the event.
Registration Cancellation
Less than 14 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay the full invoiced registration fee.
Between 15 and 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay 50% of the invoiced registration fee.
More than 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay a cancellation fee of € 450 per registrant.
If a registrant postpones their participation to a future course and subsequently cancels again, no refund will be issued for the registration fees.
Benefits of CELforPharma’s face-to-face courses:
You have the unique opportunity to interact one-to-one with the expert(s).
Plenty of opportunity for informal one-to-one and group conversations with your international peers to exchange experiences and ideas, to discuss issues and to network.
Face-to-face interactions allow for more depth during Q&As and group work.
You can step away from your daily routine in the office and enjoy a more focused learning experience in a comfortable business hotel environment.
Benefits of CELforPharma’s live online courses:
The formal programme is as impactful as a face-to-face course thanks to the highly interactive format (using breakouts, polls, quizzes …).
No travel & accommodation expenses
You can attend the course from the comfort of your own office or home.
We send you the course materials by post so that you can take notes and fully engage with the course content.
No, if you choose credit card payment, we will send you a secure payment link together with the invoice.
Team discounts can be offered for 2 or more registrations confirmed at the same time. The level of discount will depend on the number of registrations and the availability of seats.
Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details.
Depending on the format of the course (face-to-face in Brussels or live online or self-study programme) and your location, we are obliged by Belgian law to apply VAT in the following cases:
Face-to-Face public course organised in Belgium
Article 53 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112 states that : “The place of supply of services in respect of admission to cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific, educational, entertainment or similar events, such as fairs and exhibitions, and of ancillary services related to the admission, supplied to a taxable person, shall be the place where those events actually take place.”
If the course that you register for takes place in Belgium, we are obliged to charge 21% Belgian VAT.
However, you can recover this Belgian VAT through the refund procedure. Note that this procedure differs depending on the country where you are located. It is best to contact your local VAT administration for this.
Online Public courses - live webinar
Webinars where the participants can communicate among themselves or ask questions to the speaker(s) (be it verbally, via a chat function or similar), are considered as ‘a service supplied by electronic means’ by the Belgian VAT administration.
According to Article 56 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112, these services supplied by electronic means take place where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Self-Study Programme:
A self-study programme is a service provided electronically. It is the period of self-study that is the most important in our self-study Basics of Health Economics and not the kickoff and closing webinars. As a result, the place of the service is where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Our face-to-face courses are held in the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport hotel (Da Vincilaan 4, 1831 Brussels).
We have an agreement with this hotel to offer beneficial room rates. Upon your registration, we will assist you to make your hotel booking.
For any assistance in this matter please do not hesitate to email Margherita Mutto, Course Coordinator, or contact her by phone at +32 472 03 11 38.
We do not record our live online public courses as we want to offer a safe environment for all attendees to share their experiences and freely ask questions.
This way, by participating in our courses, you do not only learn from our expert faculty but also from your international peers in the room.
No, we don't sell the course materials as a stand-alone.
Without the expert's explanation, the exercises and the discussions with other course participants, there is very little value in the slides.
Email Inge Cornelis (Director, Client & Product Projects) to help you choose the course that is best suited.
Yes!
We have helped many managers to set up an in-house training programme for their team.
Email Inge Cornelis (Director, Client & Product Projects) to discuss your team training needs.
Do you have any other questions?
Email Annelies Swaan or call +32 486 98 52 49.
People attending this course are typically also interested in:
Course Details
Dates & Locations
Upcoming Session
26 November 2025, Live online (CET timing)
Early bird € 1 470
(Full fee € 1 670)
(until 24/10/2025) Prices are excl. VAT
THE CONTENT
For professionals working in market access, strong negotiation skills are key to engaging effectively with payers and securing outcomes that support both patient access and your company’s strategic goals.
This one-day course is designed to address the specific complexities of healthcare payer negotiations. Grounded in real-world pharma experience, it will strengthen your ability to navigate payer negotiations with clarity, confidence, and impact. Through a combination of structured guidance, scenario-based exercises, and expert insights, the course equips you with the tools to adopt a collaborative, strategic, and effective negotiation approach.
THE EXPERT
Dr Stefan Walzer is a recognised expert in healthcare market access and payer negotiation strategy.
He is the founder and CEO of MArS Market Access & Pricing Strategy GmbH, a niche consultancy that focuses on optimising market access, pricing strategies, and reimbursement processes. He has been teaching market access and negotiations since 2012 and developed AI-based systems and tools to empower market access negotiators.
Stefan has held pivotal roles, including Global Payer Strategy Leader at F. Hoffmann–La Roche AG. He is the author of over 40 peer-reviewed articles and more than 400 abstracts.
He holds a PhD in Health Economics from the University of Zurich, along with degrees from the University of Tübingen and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
THE AUDIENCE & INTERACTIVE LEARNING FORMAT
This course is purposely designed for professionals in market access and related roles who engage with healthcare payers.
Whether you are preparing for your first negotiation or looking to improve or refine your current approach, the course provides a practical and supportive environment for learning.
You will benefit from:
Peer learning from international colleagues from other pharma companies facing similar challenges
Interactive group exercises and real-world negotiation scenarios
Expert feedback tailored to your performance
Understand core negotiation principles and styles: Gain foundational knowledge of what negotiation entails and how to navigate different negotiation styles.
Develop and apply a structured negotiation strategy: Learn to define clear goals, build strong BATNAs/ZOPAs, and use tactical tools to manage objections and maintain dialogue.
Tailor negotiation approaches to healthcare payer contexts: Explore the specific dynamics of healthcare negotiations.
Challenge common payer negotiation myths and biases: Identify and dismantle misconceptions about payer negotiations while learning to foster empathy and understanding.
Practise and refine negotiation skills through real-world exercises: Collaborate on case-based simulations involving pharma products to create and execute negotiation strategies.
| Welcome & Introductions (~30 min) |
| Negotiation Fundamentals (~30 min) |
|
| Developing an Effective Negotiation Strategy (~1 h) |
|
| Planning and Preparing the Healthcare Payer Negotiation Process (~30 min) |
|
| Payer Negotiation Strategy Exercise (~45 min) |
Participants will be divided into groups of three and work in break-out rooms. Each group will develop negotiation strategies for different negotiation styles for the following scenarios:
For each scenario, a product profile will be handed out to participants, including mode of administration, dosing, number of patients, suggested price range, and clinical data. You will learn from the feedback you will get from both expert and peers. In addition, the expert will present his recommendations. |
| Lunch Break |
| Dismantling Myth No. 1 in Healthcare Payer Negotiations: “The Other Side is the Enemy!” (~30 min) |
|
| Dismantling Myth No. 2 in Healthcare Payer Negotiations: “The Other Side Always Lies!” (~30 min) |
|
| Interactive Payer Negotiation Exercise (~2 h) |
Building on the earlier Payer Negotiation Strategy Exercise, each group will first prepare the negotiation for each scenario. Each group will then implement the negotiation with the expert as the payer at the other side, and with the other participants having the opportunity to contribute at the payer side. After each negotiation round, the expert will deliver a rating for how the group performed, along with his recommendations. |
| Wrap-up Discussion and Final Q&A (~15 min) |
26 November 2025
Live online (CET timing)
Early bird € 1 470
(Full fee € 1 670)
(until 24/10/2025)
Group Discount:
Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.
Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details.
Information about Locations and Timing:
Live online CET courses take place on Zoom between 9 AM and 5 PM CET (Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris time zone).
Live online EST courses take place on Zoom between 8 AM and 4 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time).
Face-to-face courses are held in the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport hotel (Da Vincilaan 4, 1831 Brussels) running from 9 AM to 5 PM CET. We have an agreement with this hotel to offer beneficial room rates.
You will receive all practical details after your registration.
For any questions related to the above, please do not hesitate to email Margherita Mutto or contact her by phone at +32 472 03 11 38 .
How to Register
Click the green "Register" button on the course session of your preference or download the offline version of the registration form here.
The registration wizard will guide you through the personal and company data that we need to process your registration.
You have the choice between 2 payment options:
Payment by credit card. You will not be required to pay immediately, but you will receive a secured payment link together with the invoice.
Payment via bank transfer
Click "Register Now". You will be sent an automatic email confirming your registration followed by a personal email containing an invoice and further payment instructions.
For assistance with your registration, please email Annelies Swaan or contact her by phone at +32 486 98 52 49.
Included in the Registration Fee:
For live online courses:
Access to a virtual small-class (max 20 participants), expert led course in real-time, using an interactive platform for break-out rooms, whiteboard exercises, polling, plenary discussions and chats.
Course material will be provided to you in both digital format (by email) and in hard copy (by post, so you can make notes during the course).
Certificate of attendance signed by the expert and CELforPharma.
VAT Information
The prices on our website are excluding VAT. Depending on the format of the course (face-to-face in Brussels or live online or self-study programme) and your location, we are obliged by Belgian law to apply VAT.
We are obliged by Belgian law to apply VAT in the following cases:
Face-to-Face public course organised in Belgium
Article 53 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112 states that : “The place of supply of services in respect of admission to cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific, educational, entertainment or similar events, such as fairs and exhibitions, and of ancillary services related to the admission, supplied to a taxable person, shall be the place where those events actually take place.”
If the course that you register for takes place in Belgium, we are obliged to charge 21% Belgian VAT.
However, you can recover this Belgian VAT through the refund procedure. Note that this procedure differs depending on the country where you are located. It is best to contact your local VAT administration for this.
Online Public courses - live webinar
Webinars where the participants can communicate among themselves or ask questions to the speaker(s) (be it verbally, via a chat function or similar), are considered as ‘a service supplied by electronic means’ by the Belgian VAT administration.
According to Article 56 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112, these services supplied by electronic means take place where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Self-Study Programme:
A self-study programme is a service provided electronically. It is the period of self-study that is the most important in our self-study Basics of Health Economics and not the kickoff and closing webinars. As a result, the place of the service is where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Group Discounts
Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.
Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details.
Transfer & Cancellation Policy
Flexible Transfer
If a registrant is unable to attend the scheduled course, they can avoid any cancellation charges by providing a suitable replacement participant.
Alternatively, the registrant may transfer once, on a 'space-available' basis and at no extra cost, to another course of the same value held within one year of the original course date, provided this is done at least three weeks prior to the event.
Registration Cancellation
Less than 14 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay the full invoiced registration fee.
Between 15 and 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay 50% of the invoiced registration fee.
More than 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay a cancellation fee of € 450 per registrant.
If a registrant postpones their participation to a future course and subsequently cancels again, no refund will be issued for the registration fees.
Benefits of CELforPharma’s face-to-face courses:
You have the unique opportunity to interact one-to-one with the expert(s).
Plenty of opportunity for informal one-to-one and group conversations with your international peers to exchange experiences and ideas, to discuss issues and to network.
Face-to-face interactions allow for more depth during Q&As and group work.
You can step away from your daily routine in the office and enjoy a more focused learning experience in a comfortable business hotel environment.
Benefits of CELforPharma’s live online courses:
The formal programme is as impactful as a face-to-face course thanks to the highly interactive format (using breakouts, polls, quizzes …).
No travel & accommodation expenses
You can attend the course from the comfort of your own office or home.
We send you the course materials by post so that you can take notes and fully engage with the course content.
No, if you choose credit card payment, we will send you a secure payment link together with the invoice.
Team discounts can be offered for 2 or more registrations confirmed at the same time. The level of discount will depend on the number of registrations and the availability of seats.
Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details.
Depending on the format of the course (face-to-face in Brussels or live online or self-study programme) and your location, we are obliged by Belgian law to apply VAT in the following cases:
Face-to-Face public course organised in Belgium
Article 53 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112 states that : “The place of supply of services in respect of admission to cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific, educational, entertainment or similar events, such as fairs and exhibitions, and of ancillary services related to the admission, supplied to a taxable person, shall be the place where those events actually take place.”
If the course that you register for takes place in Belgium, we are obliged to charge 21% Belgian VAT.
However, you can recover this Belgian VAT through the refund procedure. Note that this procedure differs depending on the country where you are located. It is best to contact your local VAT administration for this.
Online Public courses - live webinar
Webinars where the participants can communicate among themselves or ask questions to the speaker(s) (be it verbally, via a chat function or similar), are considered as ‘a service supplied by electronic means’ by the Belgian VAT administration.
According to Article 56 of the European Union VAT Directive 2006/112, these services supplied by electronic means take place where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Self-Study Programme:
A self-study programme is a service provided electronically. It is the period of self-study that is the most important in our self-study Basics of Health Economics and not the kickoff and closing webinars. As a result, the place of the service is where the customer is established. Therefore, we follow the VAT rules applicable to the country of your invoicing address.
Our face-to-face courses are held in the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport hotel (Da Vincilaan 4, 1831 Brussels).
We have an agreement with this hotel to offer beneficial room rates. Upon your registration, we will assist you to make your hotel booking.
For any assistance in this matter please do not hesitate to email Margherita Mutto, Course Coordinator, or contact her by phone at +32 472 03 11 38.
We do not record our live online public courses as we want to offer a safe environment for all attendees to share their experiences and freely ask questions.
This way, by participating in our courses, you do not only learn from our expert faculty but also from your international peers in the room.
No, we don't sell the course materials as a stand-alone.
Without the expert's explanation, the exercises and the discussions with other course participants, there is very little value in the slides.
Email Inge Cornelis (Director, Client & Product Projects) to help you choose the course that is best suited.
Yes!
We have helped many managers to set up an in-house training programme for their team.
Email Inge Cornelis (Director, Client & Product Projects) to discuss your team training needs.
Do you have any other questions?
Email Annelies Swaan or call +32 486 98 52 49.
People attending this course are typically also interested in: