COVID-19 Task Force Asserts Gov’t Covers Patients’ Medical Expenses

source: lawancovid19_id Instagram account

Following a report indicating that a patient in the West Java town of Depok was rejected by a hospital and had to provide a down payment to be placed an isolation room, the COVID-19 Task Force has warned hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients.

“As we always say, treatment of COVID-19 patients is fully covered by the Government,” said Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force Wiku Adisasmito as quoted from the covid19.go.id page, Friday (29/01).

For this reason, the Task Force, he added, has appealed to hospitals to abide by Government regulations in dealing with COVID-19 patients, adding that if the hospitals do not heed it, they will receive sanctions.

“All hospitals must follow the regulation and always coordinate when there are obstacles so as not to bring burden for the people,” he said.

Ministry of Health and the Task Force, he continued, are committed to monitoring such violations and those who experience them are urged to immediately report to the local health office or the Task Force.

Meanwhile, the Ministry’s Director General Abdul Kadir said that the Government has an obligation to cover all public financing in accordance with a Law on Infectious Disease Outbreak.

“It is not justified for the public to pay or for hospitals to withdraw money from COVID-19 patients,” he said, quoted from the kemkes.go.id page, Friday (29/01).

Abdul Kadir also pointed out that several considerations require patients and their families to pay for treatment costs, as follows:

First, the patient and the patient’s family want to receive more services so they can upgrade the class of service and only pay the price gap.

Second, the patient and the patient’s family want to receive services outside the Social Security Agency for Health (BPJS Kesehatan) coverage.

Abdul Kadir also expressed hope that all hospitals will provide treatment in accordance with the clinical management that the Government has set such as rules and instructions on treatment strategy to be given.

The financing for COVID-19 patients is not actually covered by the BPJS  which is tasked with assisting Ministry of Health to verify claims for payment, he added.

“Under the Law on Infectious Disease Outbreak, COVID-19 patients become the responsibility of the Government,” he remarked. (KPCPEN Communication Team / Ministry of Health PR/UN) (MUR/EP)