TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The cost of treating and curing patients who had been exposed to Covid-19 is initially planned to be covered by the government’s Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) after the coronavirus social restriction (PPKM) was officially lifted by the government.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) believes that the government must provide legal certainty regarding this policy. Head of YLKI and Legal Affairs Rio Priambodo said that Covid-19 is actually not included in the list of infections and diseases covered by BPJS based on the Health Minister’s Regulation (Permenkes) No.59/2016,

"However, there is actually one clause, an article, there is a verse which states that there are certain new emerging diseases, it turns out that underneath these diseases must be regulated by a ministerial decree. Therefore, I support this discourse by BPJS," said Rio Priambodo to Tempo.co, Monday, January 2

He hopes that the policy’s implementation of this policy will provide legal certainty for BPJS policyholders. "So there will be no confusion whether this is covered or not," he said.

So far, Covid-19 has been covered by state health insurance but questions have emerged whether it would continue this way after the PPKM had been lifted. Priombodo also raised concern regarding people who are not BPJS Kesehatan policyholders, which he said the government must bring attention to.

AMELIA RAHMA SARI

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News