Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service showcases AI, data innovations at KIMES Busan 2026

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service said it participated in the 14th Busan International Medical Device Show, held Thursday through Saturday at BEXCO in Haeundae-gu, Busan.

At the exhibition, HIRA operated a promotional booth to share innovation cases in health data and AI, and expanded its engagement with medical industry professionals and visitors.

The agency highlighted innovative technologies and services developed by winners of its Health and Medical Big Data and AI Startup Competition, while also promoting its key projects and public-facing services.

Pill Good, the top-prize winner of the 2026 startup competition, presented an AI-based pharmacy kiosk that allows consumers to find over-the-counter medications suited to their symptoms in just six taps. The excellence-award winner, A.Cure, drew attention from visitors with Heart to Voice, a voice AI-based medical device that monitors changes in heart failure risk to help reduce hospital readmission rates and lower medical costs.

Wellysis, the top-prize winner of the 2024 competition, showcased MUG-ECG, a generative AI-based multimodal electrocardiogram platform, alongside a wearable device for multi-biosignal data analysis.

HIRA provided these award-winning companies with promotional opportunities and supported them through startup consulting, investment linkage, and fee waivers for access to health and medical big data.

The agency also promoted key services aimed at improving public access to medical information and raising awareness of the value of health data.

Featured services included a personal medical records viewing service, which lets users check treatment details listed on national health insurance benefit statements, and an emergency care support data service, which provides emergency room clinicians with patients' surgical histories, medication records and other treatment information.

HIRA also conducted one-on-one on-site consultations on national health insurance listing procedures for medical devices and treatment materials, aimed at helping small and midsize domestic medical device companies strengthen their capabilities and expand into global markets.

To improve transparency in medical device transactions, the agency briefed medical device companies on the expenditure reporting regime — a system requiring suppliers and sales representatives of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to document and disclose legally permitted economic benefits provided to medical professionals. HIRA explained key points related to expenditure report inspections and public disclosure, and gathered opinions from the medical industry.

HIRA President Hong Seung-kwon said KIMES Busan 2026 was "a meaningful opportunity to introduce innovation cases using health data and AI to industry professionals and to communicate with those in the medical sector." He added that the agency would "continue to support the practical growth of startup competition winners while widely promoting the value of health data and public services, contributing to the improvement of public health and the advancement of the health and medical industry."