YOGYAKARTA-Association of Regional Health Insurance Indonesia is committed in providing the service despite the plan by the Social Health Guarantee Agency to provide National Health Guarantee 1 January 2014. This is the outcome of the Seminar and Workshop Opportunities and Challenges ahead of National Health Guarantee System, lasting from 7-8 December in Jogjakarta Plaza Hotel. This is held by Centre for Financing and Management of Policy of Health Insurance, Faculty of Medicine, UGM (KPMAK).
“The commitment starts from the care about services for the less fortunate people that cannot be covered by government yet,” said Chairman of the Association, Drs. Sugeng Iriyanto, M.Kes, after the closure of the seminar and workshop, Saturday (8/12).
Sugeng said despite the readiness of the regions, there are still some issues to be resolved, for example, there is no guarantee as yet as to the 100% of guarantee for the less fortunate people.
“We asked that we be given options and authorities in establishing participation,” he added.
In terms of legal aspect, article 60 of the Law (UU BPJS) will become the root of problems for the agency as the Law is in the grey area. It is stipulated that the Health Ministry no longer provides Society Health Guarantee while there is no regulations banning regions to provide such guarantee. No regulations for regional health guarantee, either. “The Association of the Regional Health Guarantee agreed to keep the programme until the Social Health Guarantee Agency can cover all members of society,” Sugeng affirmed.
Researcher from the Centre, Diah Ayu Puspandari, said that payment mechanism and reference in the health guarantee also need to be fixed. Problems arise in that area related to remuneration for primary doctors who are still underpaid.
“Reference cycle needs to be improved because, for example, the primary doctor may easily refer patients for a health guarantee, but this is not carried out by specialists,” Diah added.
Other issues are infrastructure due to investment, IT and data centre which is still sectoral. Diah said all of these caused difficulties in accessing patients’ data.