IO – Presidential Instruction Number 1 of 2022, concerning the Optimizing of the National Health Security Scheme, has been valid since 1 March 2022. It stipulates various requirements concerning membership in the National Health Security Service (“BPJS Kesehatan”), including National Health Security Card-Healthy Indonesia Card (Kartu Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional-Kartu Indonesia Sehat – “JKN-KIS”) regulations, as well as the stipulation of participation in the scheme as an administrative requirement in 23 Ministries and 7 Agencies of the State.
Anugrah Agus, South Jakarta BPJS Kesehatan Frontline Supervisor, declared in a webinar held by the Association of Indonesian Mixed Marriages (“Asosiasi Perca Indonesia”) in late February, that as of 19 January 2022, no fewer than 235,394,682 Indonesian citizens (86.47%) are members of BPJS Kesehatan. “All Indonesian residents must participate in the BPJS Kesehatan JKN-KIS scheme and pay the fees – including expatriates, that is, foreign workers who have stayed in Indonesian territory for at least six consecutive months. These foreign citizens may register for BPJS Kesehatan as a wage-earning or non wage-earning worker,” he said.
Wage-earning foreign workers must be registered by their employers, and they must have a Foreign Worker Permit as an employee of the Company, Limited Residential Permit (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas – “KITAS”) or Permanent Residential Permit (Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap – “KITAP”), visa, and passport. Non-wage-earning foreign workers, i.e. freelancers, entrepreneurs and others who work on their own risk, are required to have a KITAS/KITAP, visa, passport, and Foreign Work Permit issued by the relevant authorities.
What about foreign citizens who married Indonesian nationals? Asosiasi Perca Indonesia’s General Chairwoman, Analia Trisna, reported that not all BPJS Kesehatan regional branches are willing to register the members of a mixed nationality marriage in the scheme. “Health is the core of life. Members of Perca Indonesia are fully aware that they need to register in BPJS Kesehatan for their family’s sake, but not many of them are able to take care of this issue independently,” she said.
Inclusion in the Family Card
Anugrah went on to state that the inclusion of foreign citizens who marry Indonesian nationals depends on the listing of the former on an Indonesian Family Card. “BPJS Kesehatan will cover the fees for the Indonesian spouse and three children, until the child is 21 years of age. Expatriates need not worry, because even resigned or retired expatriates can still be registered for the scheme, if they are listed on a Family Card as one of a multiple-member household, or the Family Card is not one of a single-member household,” he said.
Analia reported that BPJS Kesehatan requirement for visa and multiple-member Family Card is restrictive towards families with multiple citizenship. “Foreign citizens who have either extended KITAS or a KITAP no longer have visas, because this means that they have been living for a minimum of two years in Indonesia. Furthermore, foreign nationals who married Indonesians are recorded on single member Family Cards in several regions, as these regions rule that Family Cards are to be issued according to the address on the KITAS/KITAP, which is usually the address of the expat while they are still single. There is no flexibility and adjustment in the registration. We hope that BPJS Kesehatan will revise these impractical rules,” she said.
Anugrah declared that he will submit this input to BPJS Kesehatan Management. “We at BPJS Kesehatan continue to update and our services to accommodate the needs of our beneficiaries. We provide the best standard for all our health security services. However, nothing is ever perfect. Therefore, if you find any inconveniences or dissatisfaction in relation to our health facility services, please convey your grievances to us through official channels,” he said. (est)