BPJS Fees Rise Again, Airlangga Says To Maintain Services

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hatarto (Photo: Irvan Meidianto / voi)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartato said that the BPJS tariff increase in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented to keep services running.

"For the government-subsidized dues, subsidies are still given. Well, others, of course, are expected to be contributions that can carry out the continuity of BPJS health operations," Airlangga said in a press conference broadcast on the Cabinet Secretariat YouTube account, Wednesday, May 13.

It is known, President Joko Widodo decided to increase the BPJS Health premium for Class I and Class II through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 64 of 2020 concerning the Second Amendment to Presidential Decree Number 82 of 2018 concerning Health Insurance.

In Article 34 Paragraph 1 of the Presidential Decree states that in 2020, the tuition fees for class III participants will increase to IDR 42 thousand. However, the government provides a subsidy of Rp. 16,500, so the community only needs Rp. 25,500.

Meanwhile in 2021, the fees paid by Class III participants will be IDR 35 thousand because the government reduces the subsidy by IDR 7 thousand.

Meanwhile, Article 34 Paragraph 2 states that the premium for Class II independent participants increases to IDR 100,000 from the current IDR 50,000. Then, Paragraph 3 regulates the premium for Class I independent participants to increase to IDR 150 thousand, from the current IDR 80 thousand. This stipulation comes into force on 1 July 2020.

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Previously, the government had also regulated an increase in BPJS contributions, but on April 1, it was lowered to the original rate again because it carried out the Supreme Court (MA) Decision Number 7 / P / HUM / 2020 which ordered the cancellation of the increase in health insurance contributions.

Responding to the increase, Supreme Court spokesman Andi Samsan Nganro said the party would not comment much even though it had previously ordered the cancellation of the BPJS premium increase.

"If it is true that the President has issued a new Perpres which raises (again) the BPJS dues, of course it will have been carefully considered," Andi told reporters.

However, if there is an objection to the increase in the contribution, he will invite the public to become a petitioner in a judicial review in accordance with the existing regulations.

"The Supreme Court is only authorized to adjudicate cases of judicial review rights requests against regulations whose position is under the law. That is, if there are parties who object to acting as petitioners who submit to the Supreme Court," he said.

Judged as outsmarted by the Supreme Court's decision

The Indonesian Dialysis Patient Community (KPCDI), which had previously challenged the BPJS increase, regretted the increase. KPCDI Secretary General Petrus Hariyanto said that he considered this increase to be burdensome for the community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He even considered that the latest Presidential Decree which regulates the matter of BPJS fees seemed to have outsmarted the Supreme Court's decision.

"KPCDI stated that it should not increase, especially Class III, even though the Presidential Decree still provides subsidies for third class students. But as of January 2021 the dues will increase to Rp35 thousand," he said.

Thus, the community will later submit a judicial review to the Supreme Court as a sign of objection to the increase in fees.

"KPCDI will plan to submit a judicial review to the Supreme Court on the Presidential Decree. We are currently discussing with a team of lawyers and compiling the judicial review," he concluded.