VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The government has prepared Rp3.1 trillion in subsidy for participants of two schemes offered by the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), Director-General of Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Askolani, said.

The subsidy will cover members of BPJS Kesehatan’s third-class non-wage recipients (PBPU) and non-employee (BP) schemes, he added.

"The government has committed and included in the 2020 budget (subsidies) worth Rp3.1 trillion," Askolani stated at an online discussion on Thursday in Jakarta.

Askolani stated the government regulation (Perpres) No. 64/2020 on the second amendment of Perpres No. 82/2018 on health insurance stipulates that the third-class service premium for non-wage recipients (PBPU) and non-employee (BP) schemes has increased to Rp42,000, and will take effect in the month of July this year.

However, participants of the schemes would only be obliged to pay Rp25,500, and the rest would be subsidized.

Askolani said the subsidy was being given after the government had considered and adjusted for current conditions in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not only that, under Perpres 64/2020, the central and regional governments would provide subsidies for next year's contributions to the participants in the amount of Rp7,000, Askolani stated.

As a result, participants will only have to shell out Rp35,000.

Askolani stressed that the policy would promote the common good by maintaining the continuity of Indonesia's national health insurance (JKN) program in the short and long term and improve services.

"The government is in the front to protect people who are unable to get healthcare from the state. The management of BPJS funding in 2020 will be much better compared to 2019,” he declared.

Meanwhile, he said, public participation in the JKN program would be carried out through a single door, under the purview of the central government.

The premiums of contribution assistance recipients (PBI) will be covered by the central government.

The premium charged by BPJS Kesehatan for participants of class II non-wage recipients (PBPU) and non-employee (BP) schemes has been set at Rp100,000, and for class I members at Rp150,000, which would be effective starting July, 2020, as noted in the Perpres 64/2020. (ANTARA)