Jakartans have high hopes for JKN

Orderly waiting: Several people wait for their turn to register to the national health insurance (JKN) program at the local office of the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS) in West Jakarta recently. The BPJS, which was introduced earlier this year, is the world’s biggest health insurance program. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)

Nikmah is well-versed in the government’s various kinds of health insurance because her son is a long-term patient at a mental hospital in East Jakarta.

She has used the Jakarta administration’s previous health insurance schemes — the welfare card (Gakin) and the Jakarta Health Card (KJS) — and she also recently received access to the newest scheme from the central government, the national health insurance (JKN) program.

Nikmah was among hundreds of people who patiently waited for hours last week at Graha Askes, a Social Security Management Agency (BPJS) office in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, to get their JKN cards. On that day, Graha Askes served 343 government benefit recipients, as well as more than 400 policy holders who pay their own premiums.

In Jakarta, three months after the launch of the JKN program, BPJS offices are still serving thousands of residents every day who want to get their JKN cards.

Lindawati, a resident of Menteng Dalam, Tebet, South Jakarta, said she had been going back and forth to Graha Askes for three days in order to secure the insurance for seven families, including hers.

On Monday, she went to the office at 4 a.m., though it does not open until 7 a.m. Around 12 hours later, at 4 p.m., she was finally holding the cards required for her immediate family and other relatives.

“Thank God, we have completed everything. We can use these cards for the rest of our lives,” she said, holding the cards close to her chest.

She said the process was not complicated, although she could have obtained the cards faster had the government deployed more staff.

Nikmah, who also lives in Tebet, said she did not mind the lengthy process provided her family could access the insurance.

“My son needs long-term treatment at Klender [Islamic] Mental Hospital [in East Jakarta]. Previously, I depended on the old insurance schemes, Gakin and the KJS,” she said.

She had high expectations that the JKN program would be better than the KJS. Under the KJS program, she said, she had to go to the community health center (puskesmas) every two weeks to obtain a reference letter in order to extend her son’s medical treatment at the hospital.

“I heard that, under the JKN program, I can process the documents at the hospital,” she said, adding that it was a preferable system because she could cut down on her trips to the puskesmas.

Regional Health Insurance Unit head Theryoto said around 3.8 million people had joined the KJS program. He said the administration hoped to include 4.7 million Jakartans in the new JKN program.

“The KJS program has been merged with the JKN program. Participants can still use their KJS card until they get a JKN card. There is no deadline for the conversion of cards and they should receive the same health services,” Theryoto told The Jakarta Post.

He said that, unlike the KJS, the JKN card can be used in every puskesmas, partner clinic and hospital across the country, not just in Jakarta.

Theryoto acknowledged that the system still has its shortcomings.

Ferro Maulana, a JKN participant who pays his own monthly premium of Rp 59,500 (US$5.20) per person for first class facilities, said he experienced technical glitches when he registered in January.

Later, Ferro also found that the process did not go as smoothly as expected once a holder has their card.

When his mother became sick while staying in a rented house in Kebayoran Baru, she could not immediately access medical treatment at the nearby clinic. The Kebayoran clinic asked her to bring a reference letter from a clinic or puskesmas near her official address in Cilandak.

“The JKN [program] is not as practical as it should be,” Ferro said.

Theryoto said residents could direct their complaints regarding the JKN program to the city’s health agency, the BPJS office and the Health Ministry.

Officially launched on Jan. 1, 2014, the first stage of the JKN program aims to attract 121.6 million people, or 48 percent of Indonesia’s population.

The government has verified that about 86 million residents will receive government benefits, and estimates that about 35 million additional residents will be interested in joining the scheme by paying the monthly premium themselves.

The government has set a monthly premium of Rp 25,500 for third class facilities, Rp 42,500 for second class and Rp 59,500 for first class.

To date, there are 81 hospitals, 340 puskesmas and 88 clinics participating in the JKN program, in the capital only. This year, the Jakarta administration has allocated Rp 799.81 billion to support the KJS and JKN programs. (www.thejakartapost.com)