Other Sources of Funding Must be Optimized

KOMPAS/ADHITYA RAMADHAN

People line up to register as members of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) in Gunung Sitoli, North Sumatra, on Thursday (5/3/2015).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government has never made the decision to approve the increase of healthcare insurance premiums as a systematic effort to strengthen the country’s social security program. This is despite that increasing premiums, in line with the actuarial calculation of expenses, is deemed an effective solution to end the social security funding deficit. The government often prefers to inject financial aid and find other funding sources to cover the deficit.

Social security watchdog BPJS Watch advocacy coordinator Timboel Siregar said the public had enjoyed real results of the National Health Insurance (JKN) program. Therefore, the government must maintain the program and ensure its sustainability by implementing systemic solutions instead of a patchwork approach in dealing with social security deficits. If the government refuses to increase premiums, it must find other funding sources.