Indonesia Plans Rp20tn BPJS Health Debt Relief Program

The Indonesian government plans to forgive unpaid health insurance premiums owed by certain participants of BPJS Kesehatan, the national health insurance agency. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has allocated a substantial budget for the initiative to assist those with outstanding health insurance debts.

The funds will be provided by the government in the next fiscal year.

Purbaya also urged BPJS Kesehatan to improve its operational management. Speaking at a meeting in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, he said, “We have budgeted Rp20 trillion. We’re asking BPJS Kesehatan to also enhance its management.”

Who Will Receive the Debt Relief?

Ali Ghufron Mukti, president director of BPJS Kesehatan, explained the plan for premium forgiveness.

He said the debt relief will primarily target individuals who previously paid their own premiums but later transitioned to the PBI (Penerima Bantuan Iuran) program, in which the government covers participants’ health insurance contributions.

PBI participants are low-income individuals whose insurance premiums are fully paid by the central or local government.

Ali stated during a meeting at the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, “The idea behind this debt relief is to help those who have moved from one category to another — for example, those who used to pay independently but later became PBI participants.”

He added that the program might also include PBPU participants — non-wage workers — whose insurance is now paid by local governments.

The government aims to ensure that debt forgiveness is distributed accurately, using instruments such as decile indicators and the National Social and Economic Single Data (DTSEN) system.

How Large Is the Debt?

There is also a possibility that similar relief will be extended to another group of independent participants, known as Class 3, though no final decision has been made.

Ali emphasized that while BPJS Kesehatan encourages all participants to access health services, people should not exploit the system. “Those who can afford to pay must pay,” he said.

He previously noted that around 23 million participants are behind on their premium payments, with total arrears exceeding Rp10 trillion.

The government hopes this plan will allow low-income individuals to resume their health insurance coverage without the burden of old debts.

“It’s more than Rp10 trillion — earlier it was Rp7.6 trillion, but that didn’t include other components,” Ali said, as quoted by Antara.

Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2059600/purbaya-preps-rp20tn-to-clear-bpjs-health-insurance-arrears