Muslim Organization NU Partners With State Health Insurance BPJS

Jakarta Globe, Anselmus Bata, June 16, 2016

A resident of Banda Aceh holds up the Indonesia Health Card, or KIS.
(Antara Photo/Irwansyah Putra)

Jakarta. State health insurance BPJS Kesehatan and the national board of Nahdlatul Ulama—Indonesia's largest Muslim organization—signed a memorandum of understanding to optimize implementation of the national health insurance plan, a senior official said on Wednesday (15/06).

"Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is one of the country's largest social and religious organizations with extensive network throughout Indonesia. NU can definitely attract more people to join BPJS," BPJS director Fachmi Idris said in Jakarta.

The BPJS Kesehatan-NU partnership's ultimate goal is to increase coverage of the national health insurance plan, or JKN, and the Indonesia Health Card, or KIS.

NU will help BPJS promote JKN and KIS and collect fees from JKN-KIS members.

All Indonesian residents must sign up for the mandatory universal healthcare program by Jan. 1, 2019. Around 167 million Indonesians had already done so by the second week of June this year.