Jakarta, NU Online
The government is in need of a subsidized health insurance scheme that will provide all Indonesians, particularly those living in impoverished communities, with real benefits, a study reveals.
The study, conducted by the health division of the World Bank in Jakarta for nearly two years,
said two schemes popularly adopted in developing nations across the world could be considered by Indonesia.<>
The first refers to a single national mandatory health insurance system, where the government subsidizes programs for the poor and other disadvantaged groups. Such a system is currently running in countries like Thailand and Turkey.
The second scheme has actually been run in Indonesia before under the Community Health Insurance (Jamkesmas) program, which is fully financed by the government. Countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka adopt such a program.
“The problem is not how much the government should spend on this health insurance program but rather how effective it would be. No country can afford everything,” George Schieber, the World Bank’s senior health specialist, told a press conference Wednesday.
”Thus the government should also carefully discuss what kind of diseases they should target and the maximum price of pharmaceuticals that could be covered under the program. This way, they can minimize the risk of people taking advantage of the scheme.”
Only around 50 percent of Indonesia’s population of about 230 million have access to health insurance, double the figure of 2004.
However, despite the significant increase in health service coverage, there have been instances where those living in poverty have been turned away from medical centers because they cannot afford medication, the World Bank study says.
In some regions such as East Java, health insurance is only accessible through the help of middlemen, who usually offer their services to assist those in need of fast money.
The study also revealed that in some other regions, wealthy people were also reportedly taking advantage of the weak monitoring system and were unfairly gaining access to free medication.
The study suggested any health insurance program should be strictly monitored to avoid people exploiting the measures, which are really in place to assist those living in poverty.
“A serious monitoring effort must be done so the government can assure those who receive health assistance are those who deserve it,” Pandu Harimurti, another health specialist, said.
Harimurti said another imminent challenge facing the government was to strike a balance between action plans assisting those in need of medication and also prevention programs run through community health centers (Puskesmas) offering treatment for blood infections and tuberculosis.
“This field requires firm and effective action to ensure people can earn a better livelihood,” he was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying.
There are about 8,000 Puskesmas and 22,200 small Puskesmas around the country.
Presently Indonesia spends half of what other comparable income countries spend on health, but this could increase to as much as 10 percent in 2040, if Indonesia succumbs to the same cost pressures as industrialized countries. (dar)
The government is in need of a subsidized health insurance scheme that will provide all Indonesians, particularly those living in impoverished communities, with real benefits, a study reveals.
The study, conducted by the health division of the World Bank in Jakarta for nearly two years,
said two schemes popularly adopted in developing nations across the world could be considered by Indonesia.<>
The first refers to a single national mandatory health insurance system, where the government subsidizes programs for the poor and other disadvantaged groups. Such a system is currently running in countries like Thailand and Turkey.
The second scheme has actually been run in Indonesia before under the Community Health Insurance (Jamkesmas) program, which is fully financed by the government. Countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka adopt such a program.
“The problem is not how much the government should spend on this health insurance program but rather how effective it would be. No country can afford everything,” George Schieber, the World Bank’s senior health specialist, told a press conference Wednesday.
”Thus the government should also carefully discuss what kind of diseases they should target and the maximum price of pharmaceuticals that could be covered under the program. This way, they can minimize the risk of people taking advantage of the scheme.”
Only around 50 percent of Indonesia’s population of about 230 million have access to health insurance, double the figure of 2004.
However, despite the significant increase in health service coverage, there have been instances where those living in poverty have been turned away from medical centers because they cannot afford medication, the World Bank study says.
In some regions such as East Java, health insurance is only accessible through the help of middlemen, who usually offer their services to assist those in need of fast money.
The study also revealed that in some other regions, wealthy people were also reportedly taking advantage of the weak monitoring system and were unfairly gaining access to free medication.
The study suggested any health insurance program should be strictly monitored to avoid people exploiting the measures, which are really in place to assist those living in poverty.
“A serious monitoring effort must be done so the government can assure those who receive health assistance are those who deserve it,” Pandu Harimurti, another health specialist, said.
Harimurti said another imminent challenge facing the government was to strike a balance between action plans assisting those in need of medication and also prevention programs run through community health centers (Puskesmas) offering treatment for blood infections and tuberculosis.
“This field requires firm and effective action to ensure people can earn a better livelihood,” he was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying.
There are about 8,000 Puskesmas and 22,200 small Puskesmas around the country.
Presently Indonesia spends half of what other comparable income countries spend on health, but this could increase to as much as 10 percent in 2040, if Indonesia succumbs to the same cost pressures as industrialized countries. (dar)
