Skepticism looms over the 2014 healthcare target

The full implementation of the healthcare insurance plan, targeted to kick off in 2014, may be derailed by private company workers who oppose the proposed obligation to pay a portion of the premium.

Officials from the Health Ministry and the National Social Security Council (DJSN) said it would be impossible to fully realize the goal of universal health care by 2014 as mandated by the 2010 Law on the Medium Term National Development Plan.

"The 2010 law stipulates that by 2014, universal health coverage is targeted to have covered at least 80 percent of the population. However, that's unlikely to happen because the workers union of private companies [SPSI] opposes the idea to share the cost of the insurance premium with their companies," said Theresia Ronny Andayani, a researcher at the ministry.

She was speaking on behalf of Deputy Health Minister Ali Ghufron Mukti at the 29th ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) board meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali on Tuesday.

According to her, currently only 10 percent or around 6 million private workers are covered by state insurance company PT Jamsostek.

"By 2014, the employees are expected to pay 2 percent of the premium, while their companies will pay 3 percent."

Health insurance is the first priority to be implemented among the seven healthcare reform priorities, which include improving health services in remote areas, availability of pharmacy and health equipment in all health facilities, bureaucracy reform, health operational assistance and the establishment of world-class hospitals.

While emphasizing that no other country in the world had managed to achieve 100 percent universal healthcare coverage, DJSN chairman Ghazali Situmorang said, "It's impossible to fully implement universal healthcare by 2014. Instead, we are targeting to realize the target by 2019, or within five years after 2014."

At present, only about 139 million people out of the country's overall population of 236 million have access to healthcare. "But they receive widely varied services, because the standard of every provider is different. By 2014, we plan to be able to intensively synchronize the diverse standards in medical services," Ghazali said.

"No matter how visionary the policy, the ultimate matter lies in the implementation. Good government matters and the future of social security depends on the social security organizations and stakeholders," said International Social Security Association (ISSA) president Frank Errol Stoove.

The 29th ASSA board meeting was held on Sept. 25-26 and saw the participation of social security stakeholder representatives from Indonesia, Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the ISSA and the International Labor Organization.

PT Jamsostek president director Elvyn G Masassya, as the host of the ASSA meeting, highlighted that the meeting served as a forum for Indonesia's social security stakeholders to share and learn from experiences in the region in terms of how to increase contributions, how to widen coverage, how to develop sophisticated administrative systems and how to effectively convey to the public the urgency of social security.

Parikesit Suprapto of the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry assured that the government remained committed to realizing the goal of universal healthcare.

"The ministry provides guidance for state-owned insurers PT Askes and PT Jamsostek, which are appointed as social security providers, to prepare more accurate databases and IT enhancements to support the establishment of better universal health coverage services and infrastructure," said Parikesit.

(sumber: thejakartapost.com)