The Jakarta Post
Critics have predicted Indonesia will see a surge in people downgrading their national health insurance (JKN) plan following a decision by the government to increase premiums, saying it will hinder access to health care for lower class policyholders. The higher premiums, stipulated in the latest presidential regulation issued roughly two months after the Supreme Court annulled an earlier regulation on premium increases, will come into effect in July. The first-class service premiums will increase from Rp 80,000 (US$5.30) to Rp 150,000 per person per month, and second-class service premiums will increase from Rp 51,000 to Rp 110,000 under the new scheme to reduce the deficit of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan), which manages the JKN. The premium for the third-class service will increase by a smaller amount, from Rp 25,500 to Rp 42,000, and the government...