Village Ministry, BPJS Kesehatan Collaborate to Speed up JKN Registration

Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Abdul Halim Iskandar launches a joint program with the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) called PESIAR, in Losari village, Jombang, East Java province, Wednesday (08/30). (Photo by: PR of Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration)

Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration in collaboration with the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) launched a joint program called PESIAR (mapping, tracing, advocating, and registering) to speed up registration process of national health insurance (JKN) beneficiaries, particularly in villages.

Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Abdul Halim Iskandar on Wednesday (08/30) underscored the importance of BPJS Kesehatan in villages in ensuring the community to get access to excellent and proper healthcare facilities.

“Although we (the villages) are the ones who need the insurance, BPJS Kesehatan has been very proactive (in promoting national health insurance). I am thankful for it,” the Minister said during the launching of PESIAR program, in Losari village, Jombang, East Java province, Wednesday (08/30).

Through the program, village heads will appoint one of their residents to be an agent for PESIAR whose task is to speed up registration process of JKN beneficiaries.

He went on to say that around 45 million people in rural areas are registered in BPJS Kesehatan, while the other 2.9 million beneficiaries came from underprivileged families.

According to him, Village Funds can be used to disseminate the program or to support the registration process.

In the meantime, President Director of BPJS Kesehatan Ali Ghufron Mukti asserted that PESIAR program will be implemented in line with one of the SDGs Desa (Village Sustainable Development Goals) namely Care for Health Village that has 15 priority programs. One of the programs is registering all village people as beneficiaries of JKN.

“The mapping of residents at the villages will be assisted by a PESIAR agent appointed by village heads. Afterwards, advocacy outcomes will serve as a ground for registration process,” he said. (PR of Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration/UN)