As Korea enters a super-aged society, the sustainability of the National Health Insurance's finances has emerged as a challenge, and newly appointed National Health Insurance Service President Kang Cheong-hee took office. Kang proposed strengthening fiscal management using artificial intelligence (AI) and health insurance big data and shifting to a prevention-centered health insurance system as solutions.
On the 20th, at the inauguration ceremony held at the Health Insurance Service headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon, President Kang said, "The premiums entrusted by the people are the people's trust," and added, "We will manage the finances more scientifically."
Kang said, "We will reduce unnecessary expenditure and provide even thicker support to those who truly need it," and added, "We will increase the fairness of premium imposition and protect livelihood-driven delinquents so that the sustainability of health insurance continues to the next generation."
Health insurance is facing a growing expenditure burden due to an aging population and the spread of chronic diseases. On top of that, the need for fiscal management has increased with more medical use and expanded coverage, making the Health Insurance Service's fiscal operation capability a key task for the new chief.
To this end, Kang put forward "Reboot Health Insurance." The idea is to reestablish the purpose of health insurance and innovate services, organization, finances, and the operating system around the public.
The core direction is to shift from health insurance that reimburses costs after treatment to a system that also takes responsibility for prevention and health management. The aim is to move away from supporting treatment expenses after disease onset and instead manage health deterioration in advance to respond to rising medical costs.
Kang also emphasized using AI and health insurance big data. "AI is not a choice but the inevitable standard of the era," Kang said. "We will use AI and data to predict disease risk and provide tailored health management services, while managing fiscal leakage and fraudulent claims more precisely."
Kang also unveiled plans to build a "health and welfare platform" that consolidates health insurance, long-term care insurance, and community integrated care. The idea is to link medical, nursing, and care services so that people can receive the services they need in a timely manner.
Kang is a public health and medical expert who has served as vice president of the Korean Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, standing vice president of the Korean Medical Association Organization, head of the Giheung District Public Health Center in Yongin, and president of the Korea Public Tissue Bank. From 2018 to 2021, Kang served as executive director for benefits at the Health Insurance Service, overseeing insurance benefit policy and operations.
Kang's term is three years, until July 19, 2029.