National Health Security to Cover Indonesians

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government will launch  health security program to cover all Indonesians and expatriates after working in the country for at least six months.

The program called National Health Security (JKN) will be managed by a Social Security Operating Agency (BPJS) to be launched  in January next year, Supriyantoro, the secretary general of the health ministry, said here on Thursday.

"All Indonesians are required to be JKN members by paying contribution to  BPJS," Supriyantoro added. Supriyantoro  said the program will cover all diseases.

"Therefore, cost of  medical treatment would no longer make people holding the JKN membership poorer," he said.

He said poor people will received  assistance from the  government, which will pay their  contribution to BPJS. The assistance for the poor will be arranged with a government regulation, he said.

"This is system is in principle to create  mutual cooperation with the haves helping the have-not," he said. (*/DWA)