Why the Government Doesn’t Fully Pay BPJS Premiums, Explained
Key Takeaways
|
JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Amid ongoing public debate about BPJS Kesehatan, one common question continues to emerge: Why doesn’t the Indonesian government pay all the premiums for the National Health Insurance program, or JKN?
Head of Public Relations at BPJS Kesehatan Rizzky Anugerah explained that the JKN program is a social insurance system financed not through taxes but through contributions from its participants.
“The JKN program is not funded by tax revenue, but by participants’ contributions. These contributions come from both workers and employers and are pooled together under a spirit of solidarity to ensure access to healthcare for all JKN members,” Rizzky said on Friday, Oct 31, 2025.
He further emphasized that BPJS Kesehatan is not a charity or humanitarian foundation, but a public legal entity established to manage JKN and report directly to the President. As a non-profit organization, all participant contributions must be managed and used solely for the benefit of JKN members.
“The state established BPJS Kesehatan to provide health protection for all Indonesians so they would not be burdened by medical expenses when they fall ill. Before JKN existed, many people could not afford treatment. By joining JKN, we collectively help those in need through monthly contributions,” Rizzky said.
Rizzky noted that the government’s contribution remains substantial. As of Oct 24, 2025, more than 283 million Indonesians were registered under JKN. Of that total, 96.6 million poor and vulnerable citizens are covered by the central government through the state budget (APBN) under the Health Contribution Assistance Recipients category, or PBI JK. Meanwhile, 52.6 million people are covered by local governments as Non-Wage Recipient Workers (PBPU) Class III participants, often referred to as regional PBPU members.
He added that the government also pays JKN premiums for civil servants, military, and police personnel. In these cases, the government acts as the employer, covering 4% of the contribution for each member in the State Wage Recipient Worker segment (PPU PN), while participants themselves pay the remaining 1%.
“The government also helps non-wage workers, or PBPU participants. Under Presidential Regulation No. 64 of 2020, the JKN Class III premium is Rp 42,000 per month. The central government subsidizes Rp 7,000, so participants only pay Rp 35,000. This assistance ensures that lower-income citizens who are not categorized as PBI can still participate in JKN,” he explained.
According to Rizzky, JKN embodies Indonesia’s national principle of gotong royong, or mutual cooperation. The program involves many stakeholders beyond BPJS Kesehatan, and as public expectations continue to grow, strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration will be key to sustaining the system.
Separately, Professor Ascobat Gani of the Faculty of Public Health at Universitas Indonesia (FKM UI) said JKN consolidates hundreds of risk groups into a single pool, enabling a system of cross-subsidy between the healthy and the sick.
“The funds collected by BPJS Kesehatan belong to the participants and are considered entrusted funds, not state revenue and not BPJS property. Because it is contribution-based, not tax-based, any surplus must be used entirely for participants’ benefit. Managing JKN is like sailing while building the ship—when the sail tears, we should repair it together rather than fight or return to shore,” Ascobat said.