TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ombudsman assesses that the government must be careful when imposing sanctions for participants of the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) in payment arrears. Ombudsman instead suggests an institutional review on the scheme of social security services.

Ombudsman member Alamsyah Saragih said a polemic arises among the society after the health insurance agency announced it would design a regulation on the implementation of sanctions for participants in arrears. Those who do not pay the premium will not be able to access other public services, such as the driving license (SIM), passport, and other administrative services.

According to Alamsyah, Ombudsman sees that the government and the insurance firm must be mindful of issuing a policy related to sanctions that are not ruled under the law.

“Just because the government fails to develop socio-economic institutions to support the financing certainty of health insurance, then the people are sanctioned by stripping their other constitutional rights. Public services are the public’s constitutional rights,” Alamsyah said in a written statement on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

He added that some of the participants in arrears are not workers from the formal sector. They even experience discrimination as they could not share the premium with their companies.

Therefore, Ombudsman advises the government to consider the premium transfer policy in the form of health insurance for state officials that are paid by the state to the insurance company. This, he added, could be applied to elites of BPJS Kesehatan itself to bring just.

“Do not make a scapegoat for this failure. They have the same rights as those who are more fortunate because of having an opportunity to work in the formal sector and those who obtain the state’s subsidy,” Alamsyah concluded.

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