Indonesia Universal Health Scheme

Nopi Hidayat, Head of Public Relations at BPJS, confirmed that a total of 181,210,694 people are now covered by the government's mandatory universal healthcare program per 8 September 2017 (roughly 70 percent of the Indonesian population). The latest data also imply that this year's target is almost achieved. Before the end of 2017 the government targets to have 185.1 million people subscribed to the JKN program.

In order to boost numbers, the government will continue to enlarge channels for the local population to subscribe, for example by opening new branches in the regions, providing more information booths at local districts and villages, more information at local banks and insurance companies, more attention on websites, etc.

The JKN program is heavily government-subsidized but not free. There are several different classes a participant can select from. However, the richer segments of Indonesian society will prefer to use health insurance from well-known local and foreign institutions (although they would still need to pay a monthly contribution fee to the universal health care program, usually withheld from their wages by their employers).

Hidayat expressed that he is highly satisfied with the number of Indonesians that have joined the mandatory program since the start of the program in 2014. Within a time-span of 3.5 years growth has been great. Also the number of hospitals, health facilities and clinics that work together with the universal health program continues to grow. By 1 January 2017, 100 percent of the Indonesian Population should be protected by the government program.

However, earlier we reported that there are several problems related to this program. Firstly, there is a growing mismatch between claims paid and premiums received by Indonesia's Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan). This led to concerns about the financial sustainability of the whole program and the need to search for additional and innovative ways to fund Indonesia's national health insurance program.

Secondly, doctors have complained that the government is late in paying bills for patients treated under the universal healthcare program and therefore they prefer not to work together with the government for this program.