Health Insurance Not a Total Solution

Social health insurance is not a total solution equitable access to health services for the population of Indonesia. It was difficult to apply in remote areas. Therefore, the provision of health services need to be conducted in accordance with the needs in the area.

The remark was made professor of health economics from the Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia, Ascobat Gani, some time ago in Campus UI Depok. "Each region has a different field conditions. Therefore, health care insurance and health service delivery for each area can not be made uniform

According Ascobat, the current government to guarantee health care for the poor through insurance managed Health Insurance Indonesia (Askes). However, people especially in rural and remote areas, such as in Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, and Kalimantan, difficulty accessing health services because of barriers to transportation and information. As a result, funds provided to finance the health care of poor people are not used optimally.

Ascobat argued, funds allocated for the premiums of poor people in remote areas should be used for operational costs of health services that directly reach the public in the field.

Currently, the government through the Ministry of Health to allocate funds for health services for people in disadvantaged areas, remote, border, and islands. If coupled with poor health insurance funds would be better coverage.

Posted in: Health insurance