TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) will nullify 5.2 million participants in the category of Contribution Assistance Recipients (PBI) starting Thursday, August 1. This policy is implemented in response to the Social Ministerial Decree No. 79/2019 concerning deactivation and data change of PBI.

“The social ministry is currently updating data of the poor society with the regional administration,” the ministry expert staff Febri Hendri said in a press conference in BPJS office, Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, July 31.

As many as 114,000 out of 5.2 million participants were recorded dead, while the rest will be removed since they had never accessed the health service to the designated health center since 2014.

BPJS Kesehatan spokesperson, M. Iqbal Anas Maaruf, assured the total number of PBI participants would not decrease because the old data would instantly be replaced with new ones listed in the Social Ministry Integrated Data (DTKS).

At present, the total participant of PBI amounted to 96.8 million people or 36 percent of the Indonesian population of 264 million people.

According to Iqbal, the non-active participant would no longer receive health assurance. However, they could propose a re-registration to nearby Social Agency or Health Agency.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA