Indonesia’s universal healthcare program, Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN), was first introduced in 2014 to help low-income families pay for medical treatment. However, the program has continued to face numerous challenges since its establishment. The Indonesian government only spends about 3% of its GDP on healthcare, which is a strikingly lower expenditure compared to that of neighboring countries. Indonesia has a shortage of facilities around the country, making it difficult to accommodate all of the patients. There is also a lack of information regarding who needs to register for the program, which doctors will be reimbursed, and what medicines are covered in the program, thereby restricting the scope of people that can be reached. Some hospitals are even turning patients away in fear of not being reimbursed by the government. Despite these challenges, the universal healthcare program has helped many citizens who could not previously afford medical treatment.
