President Launches National Health Insurance Scheme

Bogor, West Java, Dec 31 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially launched the operation of the Social Insurance Management Agency (BPJS) and the National Health Insurance Program at Bogor Palace, here on Tuesday. The operation of BPJS and the implementation of the National Health Insurance Program will begin on January 1, 2014. President Yudhoyono has urged all parties associated with the implementation of the Social Security Organizing Body (BPJS) on health affairs to work toward making the program a success. "Therefore, my instruction to all relevant parties such as the central government, regional governments, BPJS health insurance, hospitals, and all health facilities is to ensure that this important and historic program is a success," stated the president, after a limited cabinet meeting here on Monday. President Yudhoyono had held a limited cabinet meeting in the Bogor Palace, West Java, to review the final preparations for the implementation of the BPJS health insurance scheme scheduled to commence on January 1, 2014. On Monday, while chairing the limited cabinet meeting on the final preparations of the health insurance scheme, President Yudhoyono urged all parties including government officials, hospital operators and paramedics, to fully support the historical program. The government has allocated Rp19.93 trillion in the 2014 state budget for the health insurance program, in an effort to protect the 86.4 million poor and unemployed people. More than 35 million civil servants, police personnel and employees of state-owned companies have joined the health insurance program. In total, 121.6 million Indonesians have joined the program, and 125 million others are expected to follow soon. Meanwhile, the other citizens will contribute by paying monthly premiums at affordable prices, in order to obtain health insurance. The insurance scheme will enable to serve better justice, especially for the poor, as they will now be covered by health insurance. He added that the implementation of the BPJS will be a historical development in Indonesia. According to the President, the government has set up 12 government regulations of five presidential decrees to support the implementation of the social welfare programs. Implementation of the program is the embodiment of the Law 40/2004 on the National Social Security System and the Law 24/2011 on the BPJS.