Yogyakarta.
The Indonesian Health Economic Association, or InaHEA, called for a preventive
health care program, an increase in tobacco tax and to promote health equity
under the national health insurance plan, or JKN, as part of their third annual
congress at Alana hotel and convention center in Yogyakarta on Thursday
(28/07).
Hasbullah
Thabrany, InaHEA chairman and public health care expert, said the congress is a
forum for international and Indonesian public health care experts and managers
to exchange information.
"This
year, we are trying to dig deeper and find solutions for public health care
problems. By presenting public health care studies, we hope to be able to
convince our politicians and boost the government's confidence in making
decisions [to take action]," Hasbullah said.
Since its
launch in 2014, the Indonesian government has been running the JKN, giving the
public wider access to health services.
As of
June 2016, Indonesia’s social security administration body for health BPJS
Kesehatan — who's ultimate goal is to increase coverage of the national health
insurance plan, or JKN — has over 166.9 million registered members. However,
BPJS Kesehatan's deficit reached up to Rp 5.85 trillion ($446 million) and the
deficit forecast for this year is Rp 7 trillion, Kompas reported in April.
In order
to address these shortcomings, the congress recommended that the Indonesian
government revise its insurance coverage and triple the tobacco tax as a
preventive and deterrent measure. Tobacco, according to Hasbullah, is one of
the main causes for fatal illnesses. Graphic warnings printed on cigarette
packs are proven ineffective in reducing cigarettes consumption because the
price is already too low at Rp 15,000 per pack, Hasbullah asserted. By contrast
however, it is nearly 10 times more expensive in neighboring city-state
Singapore.
In a
recent study published in Jurnal Ekonomi Kesehatan (Journal of Health
Economics), Hasbullah found that 70 percent of his respondents claimed that
they will stop purchasing cigarettes if the price reached Rp 50,000 per pack.
His study also revealed that Indonesia sold over 348 billion of cigarettes last
year alone.
"We
need to stop children and poor people from buying cigarettes, so we don't take
their tax money to fund health care policies like JKN. By doing this, it won't
harm the industry, as people in better financial situations will continue to
purchase cigarettes," Hasbullah added.
Hasbullah
said he will be meeting with the minister of health and minister of finance to
present his findings and recommendations so they will be able to revise
existing laws and policies.
The
congress also addressed another shortcoming of the JKN policy, which is the
absence of health facilities in remote areas across the country as compared to
the bigger cities.
Laksono
Trisnantoro, congress chairman and professor of health policy at Gadjah Mada
University said the JKN policy is still a pro-rich oriented one. The gross
domestic product increased from Rp 10 million last year to Rp 12 million this
year, but rich people are paying the same amount of insurance coverage, when
they can afford to pay more.
"We
need new policies in the basic standard package for under developed regions and
developed regions [within Indonesia]. Rich people should also be able to pay
for private insurance or pay for their own health services if they can,"
Laksono said.
Ascobat
Gani from the faculty of public health at University of Indonesia (UI)
highlighted the adequacy of public funding for public health. He expressed his
concern about the limited investment in public health care and insisted that
the financing program should be comprehensive. Ascobat added that the funds
should not only be spent on medical services but also in promotion, prevention,
surveillance, mobilizing social and government machinery.
"We
should not be too intoxicated with all the talk about health insurance. That is
necessary, but not sufficient. We need to strengthen public health units in all
of 514 districts in Indonesia. Local public health centers, or Puskesmas, must
be advocated," Ascobat said.
"I
was an activist when we brought [former president] Suharto down, but I have to
say that Puskesmas was in its glory days during this time and children received
their vaccines on time. Now we're too busy taking care of the operating
cost," Ascobat added.
Budi
Hidayat from the faculty of public health at UI agreed, adding that while
improving the JKN policy is imperative, Puskesmas must also be strengthened as
a preventive step.
"Improvements
in state health insurance as well as public health centers must be done
simultaneously," Budi said.
The
congress will continue until July 30.
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