Healthy Indonesia Cards may subsume JKN insurance program

President-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo may rename the existing national health insurance (JKN) program the Healthy Indonesia Card (KIS) program, as both health programs share a similar purpose, observers have said.

Hasbullah Thabrany, professor at the University of Indonesia's School of Public Health, said that if the KIS, a free health-care program promoted by Jokowi during his presidential campaign, were to stand on its own, it would require new legislation that would consume too much time and resources.

If Jokowi decides to continue or expand the current nationwide JKN program, which is run by the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS), it would save time and it would be faster in reaching those people who are still waiting for better quality health care.

"Replacing the [JKN] cards with KIS cards is a very practical thing to do, by allowing the new president to focus on improving the program's quality," Hasbullah said during a discussion on the two health programs on Tuesday.

During the presidential campaign, Jokowi said he would implement the KIS as a national program.

Few details about the program have been made available but many consider it to be similar to the Healthy Jakarta Card (KJS) program, which Jokowi implemented in the capital during his two years as governor.

The KJS essentially expanded existing health-care programs, namely Gakin and SKTM, with the Jakarta administration issuing cards and providing health care, not only to those people who were considered poor, but to anyone with a Jakarta identity card who applied to join the program.

Hasbullah said that expanding the JKN would require more work, including a possible revision of the current framework for the insurance, and the BPJS as its provider.

"For example, the new government should be aware that only marginalized people are entitled to free health coverage under the JKN program. Even if it is good, if everyone ends up being covered, that would contravene our regulation," he said.

Article 14 of the National Social Security System (SJSN) Law stipulates that the government is obligated to pay premiums for medical treatment for impoverished people.

The health coverage for the poor, once known as Jamkesmas, is one of the programs currently provided by the BPJS.

The non-profit body also manages health insurance offered by PT Askes (a former entity that became the BPJS), PT Jamsostek and PT Asabri.

Based on BPJS data, as of Aug. 8, the program covered 126.4 million people in total and cooperated with 1,551 hospitals nationwide. The program aims to cover the entire Indonesian population by 2019.

Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission IX overseeing health and manpower, emphasized that KIS was initiated as a refinement to the BPJS' national health insurance program.

Rieke, who is also a politician with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the current JKN program had yet to reach many marginalized people.

"We even see in the news that sometimes people are rejected treatment by hospitals due to financial issues," she said.

Hasto Kristiyanto, deputy head of Jokowi's transition team, said they were optimistic that the KIS would be approved by House lawmakers.

source http://www.thejakartapost.com