The Indonesian National Health Security’s deficits: Excises and the handling of non-communicable diseases

Abstract

The Social Security Establishing Agency for Health (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial/hereinafter abbreviated as BPJS Health) is a legal entity created to establish health security programs to protect all layers of society with affordable premiums, providing wider coverage for Indonesians. However, there are many problems in the application of the BPJS Health program, such as annual deficits. This paper aims to analyze the harmonization of regulations on National Health Security related to the imposition of excises on foods containing high salt, sugar, and fat (SSF) to operate the National Health Security and BPJS Health. This was normative legal research, meaning that the authors conducted research on literary materials and/or secondary data. This descriptive research used the statute and conceptual approaches. There is a need for sustainable fiscal policies with several choices. The available choices include: (1) the choice of increasing the dues by 15% every two years or (2) applying a combination of policies that include increasing the discipline of members in paying their dues, increasing the efficiency of BPJS Health as the manager of these health funds, as well as obtaining funding from an alternative source (the extensification of tax imposition on foods and drinks containing high levels of salt, sugar, and fat). This paper can encourage the government to issue policies on the imposition of excises for products containing high SSF.