GBAHA 2026 Annual Conference, Held with HIIC 2026, Advances AI-Driven Health Insurance Dialogue
- Association Secretary
- Mar 29
- 6 min read
The GBAHA 2026 Annual Conference, held in conjunction with the 7th Health Insurance Innovation Congress APAC (HIIC 2026), successfully concluded on March 26, 2026, at the elegant Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel in Hong Kong. As the official co-host, the Greater Bay Area Healthcare Association (GBAHA) was delighted to partner with InsurInnovator Connect to deliver this premier industry gathering—bringing together GBAHA’s annual flagship platform with HIIC’s Asia-Pacific thought leadership network to deepen cross-sector collaboration across the Greater Bay Area and beyond.
Under the compelling theme “AI-Driven Health Insurance: Building Trust, Controlling Costs, Creating Value”, the two-day congress and annual conference attracted senior leaders from insurers, reinsurers, digital health providers, technology innovators, and healthcare stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region. Attendees engaged in deep discussions on transforming health insurance from a traditional risk payer model into a proactive, preventive, and ecosystem-oriented health partner.
Our Chairman, Jamie Jiaming Zuo, delivered the Chairlady’s Opening Remarks, setting an inspiring tone by highlighting key trends and transformative opportunities in healthcare and health insurance across the Greater Bay Area and the broader Asia-Pacific. Her address emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration—an essential focus of the GBAHA Annual Conference—to address rising medical costs, evolving customer needs, and rapid technological advancements.
IIC 2026 Day 1: Strategic Growth and Ecosystem Transformation (March 25)
This high-level session examined sustainable growth amid medical inflation, an ageing population, and emerging customer segments. It opened with the “Growth & Risk Outlook for Asian Health Insurance” and continued with the Leadership Dialogue: Navigating Disruptions in Asia – Growth, Risk & Responsible Innovation.
Moderator: John Spence, Managing Director, Asian Capital Advisors Limited
Panelists:
Orchis Li, CEO, Health Mutual Group; Advisor, Gen Re
Vincent Or, Assistant GM, Taiping Reinsurance Co., Ltd
Minh Nguyen, Country Lead, Allianz Partners, Health
Wan Mohd Hazwan Wan Mohd Najib, CEO, ProtectHealth Corporation, Ministry of Health Malaysia
Sabrina Chan, Senior Executive Director, The Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry
John Hong, Sales Director, Verisk Life, Health & Travel
David Ferreira, CEO, Vitality Asia
The session also included “The Digital & AI Revolution in Health Insurance” and the presentation “Touchless Claims & Straight-Through Processing (STP): Speed with Transparency” by Mai Lam Tung Thanh (FPT Corporation). A networking coffee break followed.
Session 2: Leadership Dialogue – From Payer to Health Partner This CXO panel discussed the shift from traditional payers to proactive health partners, focusing on new customer segments, preventive care, wellness programmes, and ecosystem integration.
Moderator: Pang Hsiang Chye, Principal & Consulting Actuary, Milliman
Panelists:
Laurent Pochat-Cottilloux, Chief Underwriting & Proposition Officer, AXA Health International
Rangam Bir, Transformative Financial Services CEO
Mohamed Seghir, CEO, HAYAH Insurance
Manisha Keyal, Chief Health Officer, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad
This was followed by the Panel Discussion: Customer Engagement & Preventive Health Models.
Session 3: Ecosystem & Value-Based Partnerships for Sustainable Health Insurance This panel explored hospital-insurer collaborations and multi-party partnerships to improve affordability, adherence, and ROI.
Moderator: Arvin Mejia, Partner, Deloitte Asia Pacific
Panelists:
Frank Yau, Chief Medical Officer, AXA Hong Kong & Macau
Joyce Vineyard, Senior Director, Mayo Clinic
Jon Viney, Regional Chief Commercial Officer, IHH Healthcare North Asia
Professor Hong FUNG, JP, CUHK
Annie Kung, Vice President, Healthcare, MSIG
Session 4: Digital Transformation Pathways – From Apps to Ecosystems
This session examined the move from standalone apps to fully integrated health ecosystems, covering ROI from digital integrations, FHIR/API standards, TPAs, cross-border friction, and successful Asian pilots.
The day concluded on a celebratory note with the IIC Asia 2026 Awards Ceremony, which honoured outstanding leaders and pioneering organisations shaping the future of insurance innovation and digital health across Asia.
IIC Asia 2026 Day 2: AI Innovation, Customer Experience, and Operational Excellence (March 26)
Day 2 shifted the focus from high-level strategy to practical implementation and cutting-edge technology. The sessions showcased how insurers are actively deploying AI, reimagining customer journeys, optimising underwriting and claims processes, and addressing regulatory and trust issues in an increasingly digital ecosystem.
Session 5: AI-Powered Health CX & Distribution This session explored how artificial intelligence is transforming customer experience and distribution channels, with a strong emphasis on shifting from traditional protection models toward prevention-led, personalised insurance solutions.
Session 6: Customer-Driven Product & Underwriting Innovation Industry leaders examined the development of next-generation, customer-centric products tailored to emerging segments such as Gen Z, seniors, and gig workers, alongside advanced data-driven underwriting techniques and responsible AI applications.
The afternoon sessions delivered highly actionable insights on operational efficiency and building long-term trust:
Session 7: Smart Claims & Cost Control with AI This session focused on leveraging AI for intelligent claims automation, fraud/waste/abuse detection, real-time triage, cost containment, and cross-border direct-pay systems.
Session 8: Compliance & Data Privacy – Building Trust in Digital Health The final session addressed critical regulatory challenges, including cross-border data governance, consent management, AI oversight frameworks, and practical strategies to maintain consumer trust in digital health solutions.
Standout Panels That Sparked Deep Engagement
Three panels stood out for their forward-looking relevance:
Fairness & Explainability in AI Underwriting As AI reshapes risk assessment and pricing, ensuring fairness and transparency is non-negotiable. The panel discussed bias detection and mitigation, explainable AI techniques, model validation, MLOps governance, continuous monitoring, and alignment with evolving regulatory standards across Asia-Pacific.
Moderator: John Hong, Sales Director, Verisk – Life, Health & Travel Speakers: Dr. Dennis Sebastian (Vice President – Head of Health, RGA), Dr. Ada Chan (Head of Medical Consulting, Hannover Re), Jochen Haug (Senior Advisor & Non-Executive Director), and Xuan Zhang (Head of Accident & Health Asia Pacific, Everest Re).
Claims Networks & Cross-Border Direct-Pay With increasing cross-border mobility and regional healthcare utilization, claims operations are evolving rapidly. Discussions covered AI-enabled third-party administrators (TPAs), real-time pre-authorization, automated triage, anomaly detection, interoperability challenges, fraud management, and building efficient cross-border direct-pay infrastructure.
Moderator: Damian Delaney, Insurance Executive / Senior Advisor-Consultant Speakers: Syed Moinuddin Ahmed (Additional Managing Director, Green Delta Insurance PLC), Jeff Cheng (Senior Vice President, Cathay Life Insurance), and Adrien Terrier (VP Sales & Marketing, Qantev).
Health Insurance 2030 CXO Panel This session provided rich strategic perspectives on segment-specific innovation (Gen Z, seniors, and gig workers), ecosystem integration, and the future of customer-driven product design.
Powerful Keynotes: Prevention, Inclusion, Women’s Health, and Governance
The congress featured several impactful keynotes that reinforced the overarching themes:
Hyunah Ahn (Managing Director, Open Innovation & Strategic Partnership, Hanwha General Insurance) discussed the paradigm shift From Protection to Prevention in the Age of AI.
Makoto Okubo (General Manager, International Affairs, Nippon Life) presented on the Role of Life Insurers and Institutional Investors in Supporting Women’s Health, highlighting new business paradigms and APEC initiatives.
Andrew Yeoh (Sales Director, Verisk) shared strategies for Profitable Inclusivity in a Perfect Storm, using data analytics and digital tools to serve underserved populations sustainably.
Michael Ting (General Counsel, Legal & Compliance, Manulife Hong Kong & Macau) addressed Cross-Border Data Privacy & Compliance in Asia, offering practical guidance on balancing regulation with operational efficiency.
These sessions collectively painted a clear picture: the industry is moving upstream toward prevention, expanding inclusive access, leveraging AI responsibly, and strengthening cross-border data governance.
Key Takeaways for Asia-Pacific Health Insurers
GBAHA 2026 Annual Conference & HIIC Asia 2026 delivered a consistent message for the journey to 2030:
Growth will increasingly stem from prevention-led propositions, tailored solutions for emerging segments (Gen Z, gig workers, seniors), and seamless ecosystem partnerships.
AI must be deployed with strong emphasis on fairness, explainability, model governance, and regulatory readiness to build lasting trust.
Claims experience will become a key competitive differentiator through automation, real-time capabilities, and robust cross-border networks — while maintaining cost control and customer confidence.
Trust and compliance are foundational in an increasingly digital and interconnected regional landscape.
As co-host, GBAHA is committed to driving meaningful collaboration between the healthcare and insurance sectors within the Greater Bay Area and across Asia-Pacific. We believe platforms like HIIC Asia play a vital role in fostering innovation, knowledge exchange, and practical partnerships that ultimately benefit patients, members, and the broader ecosystem.
A sincere thank you to all distinguished speakers, moderators, sponsors, partners, and delegates who contributed to the success of HIIC Asia 2026. Special appreciation goes to the InsurInnovator Connect team for their excellent organization and seamless collaboration.
The conversations sparked in Hong Kong will continue to influence strategies and initiatives in the months and years ahead. GBAHA looks forward to ongoing engagement and future opportunities to advance sustainable, innovative, and inclusive health insurance solutions across the region.
Greater Bay Area Healthcare Association (GBAHA) Hong Kong, March 2026
