Indra Gunawan Eet Urges Concrete Solutions to Overcome BPJS Health Arrears in Riau
PEKANBARU –ASWINNEWS.COM – Chairman of Commission V of the Riau Provincial DPRD, Indra Gunawan Eet, emphasized the need for quick and concrete steps from the regional government in dealing with the problem of BPJS Health arrears that have been widely complained about by the public. He conveyed this while leading a hearing with the Riau Provincial Health Office, Monday, March 24, 2025.
According to Eet, during the recess period, he often received complaints from residents who could not get health services at the hospital because their BPJS status was inactive due to arrears in payment of contributions.
“Many people come to us to complain. They cannot get treatment because their BPJS is in arrears, and the hospital also has difficulty serving them due to administrative regulations,” said Eet after the hearing.
He explained that BPJS Health arrears generally occur due to economic factors. Many people in Riau, especially in rural areas and coastal areas, have difficulty fulfilling their routine BPJS contribution obligations due to limited income.
“The economic condition of our people is still below average. It’s not that they don’t want to pay, but they are unable to,” he explained.
Therefore, Eet encouraged the Riau Provincial Government to immediately take strategic steps. One of them is by asking BPJS Kesehatan to eliminate late payment fines that have been burdening the community.
“We hope that there will be a policy to eliminate fines for people who are in arrears. This is one way to ease their burden so that they can access health services again,” said Eet.
Not only that, this politician who is known to be vocal also proposed that people who are unable to pay BPJS contributions be temporarily included in the regional Contribution Assistance Recipient (PBI) scheme. That way, they can still get health services even though their socio-economic status is still in the process of being re-verified.
“We want there to be integration between BPJS Kesehatan and the regional social assistance program. So, people who are truly unable can be transferred to PBI until their status is clarified,” he added.
On that occasion, Eet also highlighted the BPJS regulation that requires ASN children over 18 years old to leave their parents’ care and be registered as independent participants. He considered the policy to be less than fair, especially for ASN children who have special needs.
“ASN children who are 18 years old, especially those with special needs, should still be able to receive protection. We will encourage BPJS to make a special policy related to this,” said Eet.
Through this hearing, Indra Gunawan Eet hopes that the Riau Provincial Government and BPJS Kesehatan can immediately formulate a real solution so that the community no longer has difficulty obtaining proper health services.
Writer Desi Mayasari
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