0 Bali’s universal free health service expanded

The provincial administration is to expand the coverage of its universal free healthcare to cover traffic accidents and birth defects, as well as integrating private hospitals into the scheme. The Bali Mandara health insurance is locally known by its acronym JKBM. “The governor wishes to continue enhancing the coverage of JKBM according to public needs,” said head of Bali Health Agency, I Ketut Suarjaya, on Thursday. Suarjaya said that JKBM would soon also include free health services for children with congenital diseases. 

“The three congenital diseases that are commonly found and that will be included in the JKBM scheme are newborns without an anus, newborns without a ureter and children with hydrocephalus,” said Suarjaya. The regency administrations have agreed to provide this service. Due to the escalating number of patients using the JKBM scheme in state-owned hospitals, the administration will also cooperate with private hospitals. 

As of today, five out of Bali’s 39 private hospitals — two of which are located in Denpasar and three others in Buleleng — have agreed to provide JKBM access. Starting this year, hemodialysis patients will also be able to get free dialysis. Bali has around 1,250 patients requiring routine dialysis, which costs Rp 350,000 (US$36) per treatment. Usually, hemodialysis patients require dialysis four times every month. 

This year, the JKBM funding ceiling reached Rp 236 billion, from Bali’s annual regional budget (APBD) of Rp 3.3 trillion. All Balinese residents holding a Bali identity card are eligible to access JKBM. Those using the scheme must be willing to be treated in the third-class ward at the hospitals. The JKBM card holders cannot also be participants in other health insurance schemes, such as Askes, Jamkesmas and Jamsostek, at the same time. 

Head of the JKBM technical unit in the provincial administration, I Gusti Ayu Putri Mahadewi, acknowledged that residents do still file complaints about the JKBM service in hospitals. “Some patients still complain of the difficult requirements. The public deserve to receive the JKBM service. We urge puskesmas [community health centers] and the hospitals to be more supportive,” said Putri, acknowledging that some health officers were still unable to grasp the concept of free healthcare.

source : bali daily