BPJS Health Class III Contribution Increases, Government Provides A Subsidy Of IDR 7,000

JAKARTA - The contribution of the Social Security Administering Body (BPJS) for Health will increase from Friday, January 1, 2021. This increase applies to non-wage workers (PBPU) or independent participants and non-workers (BP) class III.

This increase in BPJS Health outcomes is regulated in Presidential Decree Number 64 of 2020 concerning the Second Amendment to Presidential Regulation Number 82 of 2018 concerning Health Insurance.

Even though there is an adjustment in the output that must be paid, the Government still provides assistance to class III National Health Insurance (JKN-KIS) participants in the form of subsidies. This provision is in accordance with the mandate of Presidential Regulation Number 64 of 2020.

As for the amount of the JKN-KIS independent participant fee that is effective on January 1, 2021, namely:

a. The BPJS Kesehatan class I membership fee is IDR 150,000 per person per month with service benefits in the Class I treatment room.

b. BPJS class II participant contribution is Rp. 100,000 per person per month with service benefits in Class II treatment rooms.

c. The BPJS Kesehatan class III participant contribution is IDR 42,000 per person per month with service benefits in Class III treatment rooms.

The government continues to provide assistance or contribution subsidies of Rp. 7,000, so class III BPJS Health participants only pay Rp. 35,000 starting January 1, 2021.

Head of Public Relations of BPJS Kesehatan M. Iqbal Anas Ma'ruf some time ago said that there was actually no increase in BPJS Kesehatan class III dues, which amounted to Rp42,000.

Iqbal said the difference was the amount of subsidies from the government. In 2020, participants will only pay IDR 25,500, the remaining IDR 16,500 will be paid by the government.

However, in 2021, participants will have to pay IDR 35,000, while the government will pay IDR 7,000. This means that in 2021, there will be an additional Rp9,500 increase every month for class III BPJS Kesehatan participants.

Laborers and the People's Representative Council (DPR) rejected the increase in fees for class III BPJS Kesehatan participants. The DPR's refusal to increase the premium for class III participants was decided in a joint meeting of the DPR Commissions IX and XI with the government and BPJS Kesehatan directors, on September 2, 2019.

Deputy Chairman of Commission XI DPR Supriyatno read the conclusion of the meeting that the DPR refused to increase the premium for class III participants until the government resolved the participant data problem.

"As well as urging the government to find other ways to overcome the deficit in the social security fund (DJS) for health," he said, at the DPR Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Monday, September 2, 2019.

The labor group also expressed their rejection of the increase in BPJS contributions for class III. This rejection was even conveyed directly by two leaders of labor groups, namely the President of the Confederation of All Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPSI) Andi Gani Nea and the President of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal when received by President Jokowi at the Bogor Palace, 30 September.

"We said the class III BPJS fee would be burdensome for the people and reduce purchasing power. Therefore, we proposed and advised him to consider not increasing the class III premium," said Said Iqbal.

On December 11, 2020, in a plenary meeting, Deputy Chairperson of Commission IX Ansori Siregar asked the government to cancel the plan to increase the BPJS Health premium class III for the increased contribution category, which was planned to be carried out in January 2021.

According to the politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), this policy was applied to independent groups, namely non-wage workers (PBPU) and contribution assistance recipients (PBI). The majority of this group is poor.

Ansori said that the increase in independent third-class BPJS Health contributions was against Article 34 paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution. This article mandates the state to care for the poor and neglected children.

Commission IX has also asked the National Social Security Council (DJSN) to consider relaxing class III BPJS Health contributions. "So that participants still pay Rp. 25,500," he said.