HIRA’s International Cooperation Efforts to Achieve Universal Health Coverage for All

Business Wire

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of Korea (HIRA) is a public organization established with responsibilities to review the National Health Insurance benefit claims and to assess quality of medical services for better public health and social security in Korea. Based on its medical expertise and state-of-the-art ICT capacity, HIRA is working closely with a number of international organizations towards the global achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all.

In 2021, the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea (MoHW) and HIRA launched the K-Health International Cooperation Strategy project in order to strengthen collaboration with health sectors in the ASEAN region. HIRA and MoHW jointly conducted a feasibility study on infectious disease response system, under the title of “Establishment of infectious disease response system in 10 ASEAN countries.”

Priority partner countries are selected based on the results, which includes the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Philippines. As such, consulting service will launch in 2022 to develop and build ICT system in partner countries.

In addition, HIRA was acknowledged for its “Strategic Purchasing for Sustainable National Health Insurance” and designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center with a four-year term.

WHO Collaborating Center is an institution to form part of an international collaborative network set up by WHO at the country, intercountry, regional, interregional and global levels. Upon the designation, HIRA is preparing for capacity building programs and international training courses in partnership with WHO.

Executive Director Sun Min Kim of HIRA said, “HIRA will continue to work together towards infectious disease response system in ASEAN countries. The designation of WHO Collaborating Center will serve as an opportunity for HIRA to share the National Health Insurance Program of Korea and its excellent ICT system with the global community to further strengthen international cooperation.”