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Govt told to include HIV-infected people and drug users in JKN
The Indonesia AIDS Coalition (IAC), an NGO with members from AIDS-affected communities, is calling upon the government to cover people with HIV in the national health insurance program (JKN), which took effect on Jan
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he Indonesia AIDS Coalition (IAC), an NGO with members from AIDS-affected communities, is calling upon the government to cover people with HIV in the national health insurance program (JKN), which took effect on Jan.1.
As reported earlier, there has been confusion circulating among JKN providers as to whether HIV can be covered by the program, which is managed under the social security providers (BPJS) for the health sector.
All this time, HIV/AIDS medication and treatment are covered by the government. However, Article 22 (2) of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No.12/2013 on BPJS stipulates that the JKN program will cover health services except those that are already guaranteed by the government-funded healthcare services.
IAC said JKN-related regulations in the Perpres also discriminated against drug users who desperately needed healthcare services.
Article 25 (H) in the Perpres says, for instance, that illnesses or health problems resulting from drug or alcohol addiction were not covered by the JKN program.
IAC chairman Aditya Wardhana said more than 60 percent of AIDS control funding in Indonesia still depended on foreign financing.
'If our HIV control programs continue to depend on the government program, we will continue to depend on foreign support. Where is our support? It's about the lives of our people. Such a condition will be dangerous for the sustainability of medication for people with HIV/AIDS,' said Aditya in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He further said the Health Ministry's concern of not supplying of antiretroviral therapy under the JKN program could be understood.
He said it would be better if the JKN program covered other components, such as HIV tests, laboratory tests such as CD4 and viral load needed by people with HIV.
'This will make the sustainability of the services better in the future while their coverage can be expanded,' said Aditya. (ebf)
