National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) President Seong Sang-cheol

Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) President Sohn Myong-sei

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) jointly hosted the International Conference “Sustainable UHC through Stronger Health System” at the JM Marriot Hotel in Seocho-gu, Seoul from Jan. 14-15. 

“Many countries around the world are making strenuous efforts toward universal health coverage,” NHIS President Seong Sang-cheol said in an opening speech. “Today’s health and medical services are the most basic human rights. Investments into health and medical services are essential for economic growth as well as development of the whole of society and realization of social justice.” 

He added, “Through Korea’s success story of health insurance in Korea, the single insurer NHIS and HIRA has aggressively joined the global community’s efforts, and the universal health coverage system has delivered a message of hope to many developing countries trying to maintain an equilibrium of health and opportunities.”

NHIS President Seong said the realization of the goal of universal health coverage is possible when it is pushed with precise targets and policymakers’ determination, regardless of income and population level. Countries will have to cooperate through the sharing of experiences, lest they suffer from severe poverty, caused by medical expenses, said Seong, adding that he expresses hope that the conference serves as a precious opportunity to evolve a solid and sustainable health and medical system.

HIRA President Sohn Myong-sei said in a welcoming speech, “The biggest meaning of the conference is designed to launch a shift from global national medical purchasing bodies’ bilateral regime to a multilateral one.”

Sohn stressed the need for the establishment of a multilateral regime designed to promote collaboration and exchanges beyond the sharing of knowledge, saying that international cooperation in the health insurance coverage sector should shift the paradigm from resources procurement to purchasing in order to achieve universal health coverage.  

Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Chin-youb said in a commemorative speech, “The health insurance system Korea introduced in 1977 when the nation earned $1,000 per capita income was expanded to cover all people by 1989, achieving universal health coverage in the shortest time in the world.” Universal health care, allowing all people to lead a healthy life, not only brought new hope at a hard time, but also served as an opportunity to contribute to helping Korean medical technology make inroads into the global market, he said.

Joseph Kutzin, coordinator at the World Health Organization, and Prof. Elias Mossialos of LSE, spoke on the first session on sustainable health coverage financing and fairness enhancement. Prof. Kwon Soon-man of Seoul National University and Ke Xu, coordinator of WHO WORO, delivered lectures in the second session on rational health insurance expenses. Prof. Kim Yoon of Seoul National University and Michael MacDonnel, director of strategy at NHS, spoke in the third session on strategies to promote public health. The fourth and fifth sessions handled topics on the realization of health and medical system using big data and the strengthening of international cooperation in health insurance.

Scores of Korean and foreign health insurance experts pose together while participating in the International Conference “Sustainable UHC through Stronger Health System” at the JM Marriot Hotel in Seocho-gu, Seoul from Jan. 14-15. (Photo:NHIS)