President Kim Yong-ik of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) (Photos: NHIS)

National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) held the 18th Health Insurance International Educational Program targeting health and medical care officials, and experts from Asian and South American nations.

The program was conducted online from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9.

The health insurance international educational program, the 18th rendition, has been conducted since 2004 by NHIS in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region Office (WPRO), Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).

It is designed to support developing countries’ universal health coverage. It has grown into a full-fledged international program, which attracted a combined 680 people from 66 countries as of the end of last year.

NHIS has operated the educational program to transfer its experiences on the operation of a health insurance regime whose coverage of all people was conducted in 12 years, the shortest period among nations.

This year’s program introduced the “Flipp Learning” method to provide pre-learning opportunities via an online platform. Students from Gangneung Wonju National University were given the chance to participate in the program to share the experiences related to Korea’s full health insurance coverage.

Korean and international health and medical care experts, including those from international organizations such as the WHO and the World Ban, shared examples and suggested answers on the operation of major issues, such as the current status of Korea’s health insurance service and its implications.

Experts with Ilsan Hospital and NHIS shared overall experiences related to NHIS’ operation of regimes, such as the public hospital’s public roles and health insurance finance management based on IC.

Forty trainees from 10 countries presented information related to their respective country’s health insurance regime and the operation of ICT and they took time to explore solutions.

NHIS and WHO/WPRO jointly organized this year’s educational program since the former was designated as a cooperative center of WHO last December.

Presdient Lee Hae-jong of NHIS Research Institute said, “This international educational program will contribute to sharing several options such organic change of the international community and the Korean health system as the COVID-19 pandemic is protracted and helping participating health officials ramp up their personnel capabilities.”

National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) jointly holds an international seminar on the provision of support to North Korea’s medical development along with the Korean Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare on Aug. 31.

NHIS Hosts Int’l Seminar on Provision of Support for North Korea’s Medical Development

National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) jointly held an international seminar on the provision of support for North Korea’s medical development, along with the Korean Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare on Aug. 31.

The seminar was the fourth rendition of a series of seminars designed to promote health and medical care exchanges among the two Koreas, and the development of North Korea since 2018 when the seminar made its debut.

The first to third seminars discussed the understanding of the North Korean medical regime through transitional countries such as Vietnam, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, and ways of promoting cooperation with the international community in an efficient fashion.

This year’s symposium took place under the theme “Development of Management and Operational Strategies to Expand access to Disinfection Materials against the COVID-19 Pandemic and Effectively Supply Them.”