National Health Insurance (JKN) is a program of government to guarantee Indonesian people to live healthily, productively, and prosperously. Since the JKN was commenced on 4 January 2014, government’s health insurance programs (health insurance for civil servants, JPK Jamsostek, TNI, Polri, and Jamkesmas) have been integrated in Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).

Nevertheless, people’s awareness of the JKN or BPKS is low. The BPJS should be educated instead of being promoted. The policy and regulations of the health insurance are essential to discuss since there are a lot of shortages and obstacles of the implementation of the BPJS Kesehatan in Indonesia.

In a Joint International Seminar on Health Policy, Administrative Reform and Parliament in Thailand conducted by Master of Governmental Studies of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) and Faculty of Political Science Thammasat University on Friday (23/12) at Graduate School of UMY, Director of Master of Governmental Studies of UMY, Dr. Dyah Mutyarin, M.Si. contended that Thailand is more successful in undertaking the national health insurance and Indonesia should improve the health programs. “Indonesia can see Thailand whose government always evaluate and manage the health policy,” she told.

Meanwhile, Prof. Amporn Tamronglak, Ph.D. from Thammasat University stated that the success of the health program in Thailand due to cooperation between the government and the people. “The health policy or so-called the National System Health Coverage has been running for 12 years. The government has undergone a lot of processes, and the health coverage can run well because of the politicians, technocrats, bureaucrats, and Thai people,” he asserted.

“Law on Health Coverage was established in 2002 that the pilot project was held in 13 provinces, and after two years the health coverage could be implemented to all citizens. The health coverage fund has been taken from national taxes. There are three schemes of the health cover, for civil servants, private members, and public,” he mentioned.

The health coverage in Thailand, Amporn inserted, will be integrated in the economic development. “Thailand has a new king who will establish a new constitution and amend national constitutions focusing on a synergy between the health coverage and economic development,” he informed.