Many PBI JK Participants Disabled, Purbaya: Government Image is Ugly

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa spoke out regarding public complaints regarding the sudden deactivation of membership of the National Health Insurance (JKN) Program for Health Insurance Assistance Recipients (PBI JK).

He emphasized that the government's budget for the program had not been reduced.

According to Purbaya, the adjustment of PBI JK membership was carried out to improve the quality of implementation and management of the JKN so that it is more targeted, especially for poor and vulnerable people.

However, he reminded that the process should be carried out with good data updates and not cause a commotion in the community.

He gave an example of the situation when participants who were in need of urgent medical services, such as dialysis, were suddenly declared no longer entitled to benefits and the situation was detrimental to the government because the budget was still being spent, but it created a bad image.

"In fact, the money I spent was the same. I lost there, the money went out, the image was bad, the government lost in this case, if it made the money I spent for you smaller, I support the riot a little bit, but this is the same, the money spent is the same, the riot again. I lost a lot, sir, in the future please betulin," he said in a consultation meeting with the leadership of the DPR RI Commission regarding social security, Monday, February 9.

Furthermore, Purbaya proposed that the deactivation of PBI JK participants should not be immediately enforced and suggested a transition period of two to three months accompanied by socialization to the community.

He added that when someone is no longer recorded as a participant in the JK PBI, the person concerned has received information and has time to take the necessary steps.

Purbaya said that during this period, participants can also submit a rebuttal if they feel they still meet the criteria for receiving tuition assistance.

He also asked that the determination of the number of participants in the JK PBI be carried out carefully and measured, while still prioritizing target accuracy, ease of access to health services, and the sustainability of the JKN program.

Purbaya assessed that the main problems that occur today lie in the operational, management, and socialization aspects that need to be immediately corrected.

He revealed that in February 2026 the number of participants in the PBI JK who were deactivated reached around 11 million people, thus triggering unrest in the community.

According to him, the reduction in membership should be carried out gradually every month so as not to cause a shock effect.

"Previously 7 (million), 1 (million), 1 (million), 1 (million), 1 (million), under 1 million. So this is what caused a surprise why suddenly there were many in February because most of the influential people and they didn't know that they were no longer on the list so they felt it," he explained.

Going forward, Purbaya emphasized the need for control of the number of deactivations to be carried out more subtly within a period of several months so that it does not cause a commotion again.

"So this is what must be controlled in the future. If the numbers are drastic like this, yes, it will be smooth in a little over 3 months or 4 months, but don't cause such a shock," he said.