Jokowi: Revoke Licenses of Private Hospitals That Refuse KIS Patients

Jakarta Globe, Novy Lumanauw, May 04, 2015

President Joko Widodo, center, takes a picture with laborers after handing out
Indonesia Health Cards, or KIS, last week. (Antara Photo/Sigid Kurniawan)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo has threatened to cancel the licenses of wayward private hospitals if they continue to turn away patients requesting medical care with Indonesia Health Cards, or KIS.

Joko argued the government would pay for the medical coverage to which KIS holders are entitled so private hospitals should provide them with the requested medical care.

The penalty of discriminating against KIS holders will be loss of license to operate in Indonesia, the president said.

“If private hospitals continue to refuse service to KIS-holding patients, then they will get their licenses revoked,” Joko said on Monday after distributing Indonesia Health and Indonesia Smart Cards, better known as KIS and KIP respectively in Indonesian.

“If KIS-holding patients don’t receive good service from a hospital, they should report it,” Joko added.

The government started distributing KISs and KIPs to low-income families last week after budget wrangling had delayed their production until early this year.

KIS is a social-welfare program that is aimed at extending universal health care coverage to poor and underprivileged Indonesians.

Likewise, KIP entitles its holders, targeted to be poor or underprivileged children, to receive free primary and secondary education and to government support at the tertiary level provided they meet certain standards.

Related Article:

Govt Starts Distribution of Social Benefit Cards