11 million Contribution Assistance Recipients (PBI) under the National Health Insurance (JKN) program have been deactivated since early February. The policy, based on the Decree of the Minister of Social Affairs No. 3 of 2026, was implemented to update beneficiary data and ensure assistance is more accurate. However, many patients only learned that their membership status had been deactivated after arriving at health care facilities.
In response, a researcher and director at the Center for Health Financing and Insurance (PPAK), Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FK-KMK UGM), Dr. Diah Ayu Puspandari, emphasized the importance of earlier notification and government public outreach.
According to Dr. Puspandari, JKN is intended to provide public protection, including for foreign nationals who have resided in Indonesia for at least 6 months. Therefore, a collective effort, particularly from those financially able, is required to support underprivileged communities.
She explained that the classification of BPJS membership classes is linked to the decile system, a welfare grouping based on economic capacity issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
In addition to PBI recipients, the state also provides subsidies for workers without fixed monthly incomes, such as traders, fishermen, and farmers. As such, the government needs to be more selective in determining which segments of society are eligible for subsidies.
“Lower classes, such as BPJS Class 3, which largely come from deciles 1 to 5, are the ones subsidized by the state through affordable contributions, or even zero rupiah, which is then referred to as Contribution Assistance Recipients,” she explained on Tuesday (Feb. 10).
The controversy arose because the data screening process was carried out abruptly without prior notification, leaving many routine-care patients unaware of their inactive status upon arrival at health facilities. This case serves as a reminder that, in health services, data inaccuracies are not merely technical issues but can also be matters of life and death.
She noted that the data update process has been underway since 2025, aiming to sort records, as some patients may have recovered, passed away, or given birth.
“I think the shortcoming lies in communication, and because the number affected in February was quite large, people panicked, especially those undergoing routine treatment,” said the Public Health Study Program lecturer.
Furthermore, she explained that the data screening and beneficiary identification process will continue to be carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs and BPJS Health. Dr. Puspandari highlighted the need to implement reactivation mechanisms to support PBI recipients who require routine medical checkups.
“The role of the community environment is important in supporting this data updating process,” she said.
She also suggested initiatives involving city or district governments, or local communities, as these parties are more accessible to the public and better understand community characteristics that meet eligibility criteria.
“This is particularly important for areas with limited internet access or communities that are not yet accustomed to using digital devices,” she added.
Beyond earlier notification, reactivation issues should be addressed through streamlined bureaucracy, for example, via the Mobile JKN application. This would enable an efficient process and allow data to be updated.
Dr. Puspandari noted that the Ministry of Social Affairs also faces limitations in data collection, making coordination with regional social affairs offices essential, as these offices serve as the ministry’s extensions and can reach the smallest community segments.
During a transition period such as this, health services cannot be halted. If services are interrupted, JKN’s costs could rise in the future due to the risk that patients’ conditions will worsen.
“Hospitals already have existing data, and routine patients listed there must continue to receive care and be prioritized for reactivation, especially in urgent cases. At present, several hundred thousand quotas have been identified as continuing to use routine health services,” she explained.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Illustration: Shutterstock