Recognition for expanding public access to health data and supporting evidence-based policy

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service received an encouragement prize in the dissemination and utilization category at the 2026 National Statistics Development, Improvement, Dissemination and Utilization Awards, organized by the Ministry of Statistics, on Wednesday. Kuk Seon-pyo, head of HIRA's big data division (third from left), poses with staff members at a commemorative photo. [Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service]
The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service received an encouragement prize in the dissemination and utilization category at the 2026 National Statistics Development, Improvement, Dissemination and Utilization Awards, organized by the Ministry of Statistics, on Wednesday. Kuk Seon-pyo, head of HIRA's big data division (third from left), poses with staff members at a commemorative photo. [Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service]

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service said Wednesday it received an encouragement prize in the dissemination and utilization category at the 2026 National Statistics Development, Improvement, Dissemination and Utilization Awards, organized by the Ministry of Statistics.

The Ministry of Statistics annually selects and honors central government agencies, local governments and public institutions that have contributed to the advancement of national statistics, with the aim of improving statistical quality and spreading best practices.

Nine institutions were recognized at this year's ceremony, with HIRA receiving the encouragement prize in the dissemination and utilization category for its national health insurance statistics.

HIRA has worked to increase the practical value of its data by using the national health insurance statistics it produces each year to improve public access to health and medical information, support local health initiatives and provide the statistical resources needed to shape national health policy.

This year in particular, the agency went beyond routine statistical production and publication, focusing on expanding the availability of health information closely tied to people's daily lives and broadening the use of statistics in policy settings.

A notable example came in July, when HIRA released information on medical facilities capable of performing deliveries following consultations with the medical community, improving public access to childbirth-related medical information and making it easier for patients to find appropriate facilities.

The agency also strengthened support for resolving local and national health policy challenges — helping local governments, including Busan, analyze the effectiveness of regional health programs, and providing statistical data to help develop measures against excessive use of high-cost medical imaging equipment.

HIRA said it plans to continue expanding the availability of health information relevant to everyday life based on public demand, and to reinforce the foundation for using national health insurance statistics to address health issues at both the regional and national levels through cooperation with relevant agencies.

"This award recognizes the efforts we have made to translate national health insurance statistics into services and policies that people can actually feel in their lives," HIRA President Hong Seung-kwon said. "Going forward, we will leverage AI to improve access to and utilization of health and medical data, and provide statistical services that are even more useful to the public and to those working on the front lines of policy."


thlee@heraldcorp.com