Akmalal Hamdhi, Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) and the government have agreed to temporarily reactivate BPJS Kesehatan coverage for 11.53 million low-income beneficiaries whose memberships were recently suspended, following public backlash over patients being denied medical care.
Under the agreement, coverage for recipients of government-subsidized health insurance premiums, known as PBI-JK participants, will be restored for three months while the government verifies beneficiary data. All healthcare costs during this period will be covered by the state.
Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said the move aims to ensure uninterrupted access to healthcare while authorities update and validate recipient data.
"For the next three months, all healthcare services for PBI participants will be paid for by the government," Dasco told reporters at the parliamentary complex on Monday.
He said the Ministry of Social Affairs, in coordination with BPJS Kesehatan and the Health Ministry, will use the period to update and cross-check data to ensure subsidies are directed at those who are economically vulnerable.
"The PBI scheme is meant for low-income groups, not everyone," Dasco said.
Hospitals warned against rejecting patients
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, said hospitals must not reject patients – especially those with chronic illnesses such as kidney failure – during the transition period, regardless of their insurance status.
"We urge hospitals not to refuse patients," Saifullah said. "On financing, the government and the DPR have agreed to provide support. The costs can be settled later with BPJS. That is the guarantee."
His warning follows reports since early February that thousands of patients were unable to access free healthcare after their BPJS PBI memberships were abruptly deactivated. Several cases involving dialysis patients went viral on social media, triggering public criticism.
Data from the Social Affairs Ministry show that 11.53 million PBI-JK beneficiaries were removed from the active list between January and February 2026, a sharp increase from previous months.
Saifullah said the issue arose from a data-cleansing effort to ensure subsidies are properly targeted, as some recipients were found to be financially capable or had died.
Despite this, he stressed that dialysis patients must not be turned away, even if their PBI status is temporarily inactive.
"There are clear laws and regulations. Hospitals are not allowed to refuse patients – any patients," Saifullah said after a consultation meeting at the DPR on Monday.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin warned that any disruption to dialysis treatment could have fatal consequences, underscoring the urgency of the policy reversal.
"Dialysis patients typically require treatment two to three times a week," Budi said during a parliamentary consultation meeting on Sunday. "If they miss treatment, it can be fatal within one to three weeks. If they miss a week, two weeks, three weeks – they can die."
Indonesia currently has around 200,000 dialysis patients nationwide, with approximately 60,000 new cases added each year. Last year alone, the number of new patients reached 120,000, Budi said.
Of the total dialysis patient population, 12,262 were affected by the recent deactivation of PBI-JKN memberships.
Budi estimated that reactivating coverage for affected dialysis patients would cost roughly Rp 15 billion, based on monthly premiums of about Rp 42,000 per participant.
"If you calculate it – around 120,000 people times Rp 42,000 per month – it's roughly Rp 5 billion per month," he said. "So we're asking for around Rp 15 billion to automatically reactivate PBI memberships that were removed."
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirmed that the state budget is ready to support the temporary reactivation of the PBI-JK coverage, including for dialysis patients who were removed from the beneficiary list.
"As the state treasurer, I can confirm that the budget is available," Purbaya said at the DPR on Monday. "BPJS can come directly to us. There is already a budget line that can be unlocked. The funds can be disbursed quickly."