February 23, 2026 | 05:50 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that national health insurance premiums must be raised immediately because the deficit of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) continues to widen. In 2025, the BPJS Kesehatan deficit was reported to exceed Rp20 trillion.
"What does it mean? The premiums must be increased. It is impossible for BPJS premiums not to be adjusted every five years," said Budi during a press conference on Optimizing the Implementation of the National Health Insurance Program in Jakarta, which was broadcast online on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Minister Budi explained that there are two primary reasons for the necessary hike in the national insurance premiums. First, health costs increase annually due to inflation. Without adjusting these premiums, inflation will further burden the national health system.
According to data presented by Budi, national health insurance costs reached Rp158 trillion three years ago, increasing to Rp175 trillion in 2024, and Rp190 trillion in 2025.
The second reason, he explained, is that the expansion of access and the improved quality of BPJS Kesehatan services also contribute significantly to the increasing financial burden to be paid by the agency.
If the premiums are not increased, Budi predicts that within the next five years, the country will no longer be able to finance the healthcare of the Indonesian people. "Not during my time, but during the time of the minister after me. I guarantee that BPJS will not be able to withstand it. Surely, it will not have enough money to maintain the health of the people," said Minister Budi.
The Minister of Health realizes that raising BPJS premiums is not easy because this policy carries heavy political weight and often triggers public protests. However, he believes that raising premiums is the fairest path forward for the public.
The reasoning is that without raising premiums, the deficit or costs not covered by participant contributions must be paid or subsidized by the state. This means the burden that should be paid by the wealthy through increased premiums will still be borne by the state because the premium amounts remain stagnant.
Budi explained that through the Single National Social and Economic Data (DTSEN) scheme, premiums for society members in income deciles 1-4 will be borne by the central government, income deciles 5-6 will be covered by local governments, and the premium hike will only target affluent citizens in income deciles 7-10. Deciles are a statistical term used to divide data into ten equal-sized groups. "That is why the increase in premiums becomes a fairer instrument that must be fought for," he said.
Read: Prabowo Appoints Prihati Pujowaskito as Head of BPJS Kesehatan
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