Gov’t to Cut PCR Test Upper Limit Cost

President Joko Widodo

In a bid to increase the capacity of COVID-19 tests, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has ordered Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin to slash the cost of RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) test.

“One thing that we can do to boost test quantity is by lowering the price of PCR tests,” President Joko Widodo said at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Sunday (15/08).

The President ordered that the cost of PCR test must be ranging from Rp450,000 to Rp550,000 and the results can be obtained in less than 24 hours to speed up the tracing process.

For the record, Ministry of Health had issued Circular Number HK. 02.02/I/3713/2020 on the Highest Tariff Limit for Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Test. The Circular was signed by the Ministry’s Acting Director General of Health Services Abdul Kadir on 5 October 2020.

Under the Circular, the upper limit for RT-PCR test including swab test sample is Rp900,000. The tariff applies to people who carry out RT-PCR test at their own request.

The upper limit does not apply to contact tracing needs or referral for COVID-19 patients to hospitals since the patients will receive RT-PCR test assistance from the Government or which is part of the guarantee of financing for COVID-19 patients. (FID/UN) (GWH/MUR)