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Mobile JKN app lacks users, system stability
Two years on, the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) has continued to experience problems with a mobile application it launched in April 2016
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wo years on, the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) has continued to experience problems with a mobile application it launched in April 2016. The app, Mobile JKN, was introduced to make it easier for people to register for the national health insurance (JKN) program and update their data.
However, BPJS Kesehatan data indicate that less than 1.8 million people have registered using the Mobile JKN app, much lower than the target of 10 million, according to agency spokesperson Nopi Hidayat.
Timboel Siregar from watchdog BPJS Watch said it was the responsibility of the government and the agency to raise awareness about the health insurance program.
“JKN is a program that has been going on for five years with good intentions and spirit,” Timboel told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, adding that the problem was a lack of announcements.
Agency data show that the majority of Mobile JKN app users — 69.6 percent — live in Java, while 14.7 percent live in Sumatra and the Riau Islands, 6.4 percent in Ambon and Sulawesi and 5.7 percent in Kalimantan. The lowest numbers are in Bali and East Tenggara, both at 3 percent, and Papua with 0.7 percent.
Members of the BPJS Kesehatan healthcare program in remote regions are far less likely to know about Mobile JKN, and some areas lack the technological infrastructure to support the use of such applications.
Markus Ngga, the head of Ruku Ramba village in Ende regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, told the Post that less than half of the villagers were registered with the JKN program because of a lack of awareness over not only the app, but also services available under the program as a whole.
He added that, as most villagers were not yet insured, they only visited community health centers to treat their illnesses or get medicine.
Timboel said the situation was not unique to East Nusa Tenggara and called on BPJS Kesehatan, local government officials and personnel from integrated health services to help “educate the public” through more frequent announcements.
However, problems have been reported even with users of Mobile JKN.
Indah Qirey, 27, was initially drawn to the app because she saw potential benefits in being able to modify data digitally. She signed up earlier this month, but when she tried to log in for the first time, it did not work — nor has it ever for her.
Indah sent a complaint via the Google Play Store but said she always ended up frustrated. “There is always an error. Since I registered, I’ve never been able to log in because the captcha responds with ‘error’. Please fix the app,” she said.
BPJS Kesehatan then replied with, “Hello, please tell us what version of Android you use. Thank you.”
Indah sent an email to BPJS Kesehatan to follow up on her query, but received no reply.
Abdi Hutama, 29, encountered a similar problem. He has had the app since last year, and was able to use it with the KitKat Android operating system on his smartphone. However, ever since switching to Oreo Android, he has not been able to log in due to captcha errors.
Complaints over the captcha system are commonly found in the app’s review section in the Google Play Store. (stu)
