Hospitals, community health centers work with BPJS

The Health Ministry says that 1,720 out of 2,300 Indonesian hospitals, both private and public, have signed a partnership agreement with the social security providers (BPJS) for the health sector, which took effect on Jan.1, 2014.

This comprises 533 public hospitals, 919 private hospitals, 109 special and psychiatric hospitals, 104 Indonesian Military (TNI) hospitals and 45 National Police (Polri) hospitals.

Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said most of the hospitals had first assessed the agreement to see whether the BPJS would benefit them.

“But there are also many of them who say that helping people is the most important thing to do,” she said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially launched national health insurance (JKN) managed under the BPJS for the health sector at Bogor Palace, on Tuesday.

As a first step, JKN will be delivered to 121 million people, or 48 percent of the population. This comprises 86.4 million beneficiaries of the government-funded community health protection scheme Jamkesmas; 11 million beneficiaries of locally-funded health insurance scheme Jamkesda; 16 million Askes holders; 7 million Jamsostek holders and 1.2 million members of Asabri, an insurance scheme for TNI/Polri personnel.

“Insya Allah [God willing], in the second stage, on Jan.1, 2019 at the latest, all Indonesians will be able to benefit from the BPJS,” said Yudhoyono.

Coordinating People’s Welfare Minister Agung Laksono said the registration process for the membership had been opened at BPJS branch offices (previously PT Askes) in regions across Indonesia since Jan.1.

Registration could also be carried out via the appointed banks of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).

“For the poor, the government will pay their insurance premium of Rp 19,225 (US$1.58) per person per month,” said Agung. (http://www.thejakartapost.com)