The Ministry Of Health Explains The Reasons For The Difference In Setting The Highest PCR Tariff In Java-Bali Rp495 Thousand And Outside Java-Bali Rp525 Thousand

JAKARTA - The Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Abdul Kadir explained the reason for the difference in the determination of the change in the highest tariff limit for RT PCR tests in Java-Bali and outside Java-Bali.

It is known that the highest tariff limit for real-time PCR examinations has been lowered to Rp495,000 for the islands of Java and Bali, and Rp525,000 for areas outside Java and Bali.

Kadir said transportation costs were the main factor causing the price difference.

"Of course we can understand that there is a transportation factor here. We add this variable to the cost of transportation costs, so we get the difference," said Kadir in a virtual press conference, Monday, August 16.

He explained that the islands of Java and Bali were trade centers. Therefore, the area does not require too large transportation costs compared to other islands.

"But if the laboratory is located in an area outside Java and Bali, for example in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua, then of course it requires transportation costs," he said.

It is known, the government has again lowered the price for the highest PCR test that must be applied in private health care facilities from the previous Rp900 thousand. This rate will take effect on August 17th.

The decrease in the price of the COVID-19 examination is in accordance with the results of the evaluation of the Ministry of Health together with the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).

The evaluation is carried out by calculating the cost of the PCR examination which consists of service components (HR), reagents and consumable medical materials, administrative costs, and other cost components that are adjusted to current conditions.