T

he Jakarta Health Card (KJS) introduced by Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo in 2011 has officially merged into the national health insurance (JKN) plan managed under the Social Security Providers (BPJS) program, which takes effect in January.

To avoid administrative problems, the city administration will replace KJS cards with JKN cards.

'€œWithin three months, we will replace the cards with JKN cards,'€ Jakarta Health Agency head Dien Emmawati said during the implementation of the JKN program in Jakarta at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta on Wednesday.

As many as 3.5 million poor Jakartans have been registered as healthcare program beneficiaries, 1.2 million of whom were registered as JKN program recipients, while the remaining 2.3 million would be covered by the city administration.

KJS healthcare program beneficiaries are entitled to free third-class medical services in incorporated hospitals in Jakarta. With the implementation of the National Social Security System (SJSN), KJS patients will also be able to access medical services in hospitals outside the capital.

'€œKJS patients can go to hospitals outside the capital as the SJSN takes effect there,'€ Dien said.

The city administration also encouraged Jakarta residents to register on the JKN program through community health centers (puskesmas).

The JKN program sets the premium rate at Rp 19,225 (US$1.57) per person per month, lower than the Rp 23,000 per person per month set by the city administration in the KJS program. The premium will be evaluated every two years.

However, Dien said medical rates applied in the program had been increased by 53 percent from last year.

The decision to increase the medical rates was based on the experience of the city administration applying the KJS program, which had been a pilot project of the JKN last year.

A number of private hospitals incorporated in the KJS program had complained over the previous medical rates, which were deemed too low.

Jokowi said residents could expect better services.

'€œWe'€™ve applied the KJS healthcare program for a year so we expect improvements as the JKN takes effect,'€ he said.

During the national launch of JKN at Bogor Palace on Tuesday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said starting from Jan. 1, as a first step the JKN program would be delivered to 121 million people or 48 percent of the Indonesian population.

Second, it was hoped all Indonesians could participate in the BPJS for health by Jan. 1, 2019, the President said.