I

recently sought care in two hospitals at the same time: the private Krakatau Medika hospital and the state-run Panggung Rawi located in Cilegon city, Banten. Services in the two hospitals were great. I am also grateful for being a national health insurance (JKN) program card holder.

The JKN program, managed by the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS), has been in operation since Jan. 1, 2014. The program provides its participants with healthcare benefits and protection to meet the basic needs of health care.

Foreigners who have worked in Indonesia for at least six months are also eligible to register in the program.

BPJS participants are divided into two groups: assisted recipients, which includes the poor, near poor and totally disabled as stipulated in the National Social Security System (SJSN) Law, whose contributions are paid by the government, and non-assisted recipients, consisting of paid workers and their family members, as well as non-wage workers and their family members.

Wage workers are people who work and receive wages or salaries, such as civil servants, members of the Indonesian Military, police, state officials, non-civil servant government employees, private employees and others who meet the criteria as wage workers. Non-wage workers are people who work outside employment relations or independent workers. Non-workers are people who do not work but are able to pay health insurance premiums, including investors, employers, pension recipients or former state officials with pension rights, veterans and pioneers of independence or other non-workers who can meet the criteria as wage workers.

As of the end of 2014, the number of program participants has exceeded 130.28 million, up from 127.25 million in August 2014.

I really feel the benefits of the program. However, hospitals are experiencing difficulties accommodating the rising number of JKN card holders. I think the government needs to think of different ways to further simplify procedures for program participants. Anyways, thank you BPJS.