Sri Mulyani Brings Good News: Starting From 2022 BPJS Health Will Share The Burden Of Costs For COVID-19 Patients

Medical devices (truthout.org)

JAKARTA - The government through the Minister of Finance (Minister of Finance) Sri Mulyani emphasized that the cost of treating COVID-19 patients from 2022 will also be supported by the Health Social Security Administering Body (PBJS).

"Starting 2022 BPJS Kesehatan will participate in the cost sharing of COVID-19 patients," he said at a virtual press conference on Monday, August 16.

According to the Minister of Finance, one of the reasons why the government embraced the social security institution was because other focus would be directed to solving the stunting problem in Indonesia.

"In addition to handling COVID patients, another focus in the health sector is dealing with stunting in the community, as well as encouraging reform of the national health system by building a number of health infrastructures to deal with the pandemic," he said.

To note, the health budget in the 2022 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN) is IDR 255.3 trillion.

This amount is less than the allocation in the 2021 APBN which is Rp. 326.4 trillion. This means that there will be a decrease of IDR 71.1 trillion starting next year.

In detail, the 2022 health budget consists of the health sector PEN fund of Rp. 115.9 trillion and the regular health budget of Rp. 139.4 trillion.

Meanwhile, for the 2021 period, the Rp326.4 trillion health budget consists of Rp201.2 trillion for health PEN funds and Rp125.2 trillion for regular health budgets.

Meanwhile, the utilization of the 2022 health budget will focus on a number of coverages, including continued handling of COVID-19, acceleration of stunting reduction, assistance to 96.8 million JKN participants, assignment of health workers to underdeveloped areas of 5,200 people, construction of 80 health centers, and coverage of focus locations. handling stunting in 514 districts/cities.