On the occasion of the Youth Pledge, the Government Waived BPJS Arrears for the Underprivileged
Jakarta – BPJS Kesehatan President Director Ali Ghufron Mukti stated that the government is preparing a policy to waive BPJS Kesehatan contribution arrears for participants meeting certain criteria as a form of the state’s commitment to providing inclusive social protection for all Indonesians.
“BPJS Kesehatan participants who have changed status from independent participants to Premium Assistance Recipients (PBI) or participants who are now funded by the local government, are no longer burdened by old arrears,” he said.
According to Ghufron, this step is crucial to ensure that every citizen can continue to access healthcare services without being hampered by past administrative issues. The amnesty does not apply to all participants, but only to groups who truly meet the disability criteria.
“This arrears relief is specifically for BPJS Kesehatan participants who are unable or poor,” he stressed.
In practice, BPJS Kesehatan continues to limit the amount of arrears that can be written off, to a maximum of 24 months. For example, if a participant has arrears since 2014, only the last two years of arrears will be counted and written off.
“Even if it starts in 2014, we will still consider it two years and we will still allow a maximum of two years of freedom,” explained Ghufron.
He added that BPJS Kesehatan could not write off all arrears because it would burden the institution’s administration.
“Later, it’ll be like we’re writing it off, so in other words, it’ll just burden the administration and so on,” he said.
Furthermore, Ghufron emphasized that this amnesty will not disrupt BPJS Kesehatan’s finances as long as it is implemented effectively. He cited the National Social and Economic Single Data (DTSEN) as a reference for ensuring accurate beneficiary identification.
“No, it won’t be a problem, as long as it’s targeted properly. If it’s not targeted properly, it could be a problem, but if it’s targeted properly, I don’t think it will be,” he added.
Meanwhile, the government, through Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, has announced that it has allocated a budget of Rp 20 trillion to support the amnesty policy. This measure not only addresses the outstanding debt but also serves as momentum to improve the governance of the national health insurance system, making it more efficient and effective.
“We asked for a budget of Rp 20 trillion, in line with the President’s promise. That has been budgeted. We hope that BPJS Kesehatan will improve its governance to prevent budget leakage,” Purbaya said.
This policy momentum coincides with the commemoration of Youth Pledge Day, which emphasizes the Prabowo-Gibran administration’s concrete commitment to protecting vulnerable groups and strengthening the foundations of national prosperity.
