Government Improves PBI JK Data Quality

JAKARTA (July 31, 2019) - The Government through the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs is committed to improve the quality of Health Insurance Benefit Recipients (PBI JK) data so that this program is more right on target.

"The government wants those who receive health insurance contribution assistance to be truly entitled and meet the qualifications set by the government," said Minister of Social Affairs Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita as conveyed by Exclusive Staff of the Minister of Social Affairs Febri Hendri in a press conference at Media Center BPJS Health Office, Jakarta, Wednesday.

Febri said that based on Law No. 13 of 2011 about the Handling of the Poor, the Ministry of Social Affairs has a mandate to verify and validate poverty data into Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) which can be used as a basis for distribution of various social assistance and government subsidies.

"This means that all assistance for handling the poor must refer to the DTKS determined by the Ministry of Social Affairs, so that it is right on target, including PBI JK assistance," he said.

He explained that Data Updates are consistently carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs in collaboration with the Regional Government. Then, the Data Updates are matched with the BPJS master file and population data with the Ministry of Home Affairs. This update is carried out every day and determined in the form of Social Minister Decree 3 times a year. 

"Verification and validation are done among others by the removal of PBI participants who are already capable, have passed away, or have multiple NIKs," he added.

Furthermore, the Exclusive Staff of the Minister said that based on verification and validation conducted by the Data and Information Centre of Ministry of Social Affairs, there were inclusion and exclusion errors. Inclusion error means that there are individuals who are not entitled to become PBI participants, but are included as PBI participants. Exclusion error means that an individual who has the right to enter as a PBI participant is yet to be registered as a PBI participant.

"As of July 2019, the Ministry of Social Affairs has updated PBI participant data and found that there are 5.2 million PBI participants who are included in the inclusion error (PBI participants who are not eligible to enter PBI)," he explained.

Regarding the participants with the inclusion error category, the Minister of Social Affairs has set the Minister of Social Affairs Decree No. 79 of 2019 about Disabling of PBI Participants and Replacement with New Participants.

After deactivating 5.2 million PBI participants, explained Febri, the Ministry of Social Affairs replaced new PBI participants drawn from individuals or household members from deciles 1 and 2 Integrated Social Welfare Data with the same amount as deactivated participants. Individuals or household members in deciles 1 and 2 are individuals or household members who have the lowest level of welfare in the Integrated Social Welfare Data.

"Through this step, we hope that there will be no leaked state finances for citizens who are not entitled to enter PBI participants," he added.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Tulus Abadi said that the enthusiasm carried out by the government to improve JKN PBI data was very good.

"The spirit is great, the government wants to reform so that recipients of aid are better targeted and are actually given to eligible citizens," he said.

He also suggested that the government can make it easier for people who are included in the JKN PBI list to see whether they are deactivated or not.

Responding to the topic, the Exclusive Staff of Minister of Social Affairs Febri Hendri said as an anticipatory measure, the Ministry of Social Affairs conduct risk mitigation for non-DTKS PBI participants who are deactivated. If the deactivated participant still needs JKN PBI, then the social service agency will carry out verification and re-validation to find out their socioeconomic conditions.

“If they fit the criteria, the people who are unable and deserving of assistance will be proposed to return to the Ministry of Social Affairs in the current month according to the quota or the following month to be determined as a PBI JK participant," explained Febri.

Head of Public Relations Bureau Minister of Social Affairs RI

Sonny W. Manalu