China (Hainan) First Real-World Data Healthcare Insurance Innovation Application Conference Successfully Concludes with Over 800 Experts from Government, Industry, Academia, and Research Institutions

On December 28, 2023, the First Conference on Innovative Applications of Real-World Data in Medical Insurance (China·Hainan) was held in Boao, Hainan. Themed “Innovative Applications of Real-World Data in Medical Insurance,” the conference attracted more than 800 distinguished experts and representatives from government, industry, academia, and research sectors. The event focused on innovative practices in applying real-world data to medical insurance, jointly charting a new course for the use of real-world data in this field.

Guided by the People’s Government of Hainan Province, and hosted by the Hainan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration and the Administration Bureau of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, with co-organization by the China Health Insurance Research Association and undertaking by the Hainan Lecheng Real-World Data Research Institute, this conference aims to implement the work requirements for deepening the “provincial-ministerial co-construction” initiative, strengthen industry exchange and development, and effectively advance the pilot work on innovative applications of real-world data in healthcare security.

Xie Jing, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Hainan Province; Huang Huabo, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the National Healthcare Security Administration; Huang Xinyu, Director of the Department of Pharmaceutical Services Management, National Healthcare Security Administration; Zhu Yongfeng and Zhang Shushu, Deputy Directors of the Department of Planning, Finance and Regulations, National Healthcare Security Administration; Weng Linjia, Deputy Director of the Department of Pharmaceutical Pricing and Centralized Procurement, National Healthcare Security Administration; Wang Guodong, Deputy Director of the Healthcare Security Administration Center, National Healthcare Security Administration; Li Wenxiu, Party Secretary and Director of the Hainan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration; Xie Jiangbo and Chen Tao, Members of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Directors of the Hainan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration; Jia Ning, Party Secretary and Director of the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration; Zhu Ning, Party Secretary and Director of the Hainan Provincial Medical Products Administration; Zhou Jun, Party Secretary and Director of the Hainan Provincial Social Insurance Service Center, and other officials attended the meeting.

Figure: Xie Jing, Vice Governor of the People's Government of Hainan Province, and Huang Huabo, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the National Healthcare Security Administration, unveiled the plaque for the Hainan Real-World Data Medical Insurance Innovation Application Center.

Huang Huabo, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the National Healthcare Security Administration, stated in his address that Hainan possesses a solid foundation and favorable conditions for advancing innovative applications of real-world data (RWD) in healthcare security. He expressed the hope that Hainan Free Trade Port will fully leverage its role as a pioneering pilot zone, and that, by drawing on RWD research conducted in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, efforts will be made to explore the establishment of policy frameworks, guiding principles, and technical standards for the application of RWD in healthcare security. These initiatives aim to position RWD applications as a key reference for drug value assessment and support their integration into processes such as adjustments to the National Reimbursement Drug List. He further hoped that, through the platform provided by this conference, healthcare security professionals from across the country, along with clinical and pharmaceutical institutions, research organizations, and higher education institutions, would continue to collaborate and contribute their expertise and efforts to advance innovative applications of RWD in healthcare security.

That morning, the conference held the unveiling ceremony for the “Hainan Real-World Data Health Insurance Innovation Application Center,” marking a solid step forward in the innovative application research of real-world data in the health insurance sector.

During the keynote session, Zhu Yongfeng, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning, Finance, and Regulations at the National Healthcare Security Administration, delivered a keynote address titled “Leveraging Real-World Data Innovatively to Support the Development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and High-Quality Development of China’s Healthcare Security System.” He provided a detailed overview of three key areas: the significant value and role of real-world data, the advantages of innovative applications of real-world data in healthcare security, and strategies for innovatively harnessing real-world data within the healthcare security sector.

Huang Xinyu, Director of the Department of Medical Service Management under the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), delivered a keynote speech titled “Adjustments to the National Reimbursement Drug List and the Application of Real-World Data.” He provided a comprehensive review of the adjustments made to the National Reimbursement Drug List since the establishment of the NHSA, highlighted the new challenges facing list management in the current environment and context, and introduced the significant role that real-world data can play in supporting both initial market access and post-access management of drugs during the adjustment process.

Weng Linjia, Deputy Director of the Department of Pharmaceutical Price and Tendering and Procurement under the National Healthcare Security Administration, delivered a keynote speech titled “Outlook on Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies from a ‘Real-World’ Perspective.” He provided a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the application of real-world studies in centralized volume-based procurement. Furthermore, he outlined the prospects for applying real-world evidence in various areas of pharmaceutical pricing, including the formation mechanism of initial launch prices for newly marketed drugs, the standardization and governance of listed drug prices, the innovation and economic evaluation of newly added medical service price items, and the development of new mechanisms and reforms for medical service pricing.

Wang Guodong, Deputy Director of the Medical Security Administration Center under the National Healthcare Security Administration, delivered a keynote speech titled “Promoting High-Quality Development of Healthcare Security Administration through Real-World Studies.” He provided a detailed introduction to leveraging real-world studies to advance the high-quality development of healthcare security administration, effectively promoting refined management of healthcare security operations, enhancing the level of health technology assessment, and advancing the digital transformation of healthcare security administration, thereby further improving the efficiency of management services and standardizing and facilitating administrative services.

Li Wenxiu, Party Secretary and Director of the Hainan Provincial Healthcare Security Administration, delivered a keynote speech titled “Exploration and Prospects of Innovative Applications of Real-World Data in Healthcare Security in Hainan.” Focusing on Hainan’s three major advantages in policy, data, and talent for conducting real-world data (RWD) research, she summarized the preliminary achievements made in the application of RWD to healthcare security in Hainan, and shared the future directions and key priorities that Hainan will focus on to further promote such applications.

The conference also featured five sub-forums on “Standards, Management, and Application of Real-World Data in Health Insurance,” “Quality Assessment of Healthcare Services and Reform of Health Insurance Payment Methods Based on Real-World Data,” “Drug Value Assessment Based on Real-World Data,” “Application and Evaluation of Price-Based Procurement Based on Real-World Data,” and “Health Insurance Fund Supervision Based on Real-World Data.” These sessions explored innovative applications of real-world data in health insurance from multiple perspectives, offering proactive recommendations to promote high-quality development of China’s healthcare security system and to pave new paths for reform and innovation in the national health insurance sector.

Also attending the meeting were heads of relevant business divisions under various departments of the National Healthcare Security Administration, representatives from provincial and municipal healthcare security administrations, and representatives from relevant Hainan Provincial departments and bureaus.