Indonesia Medical Insurance News

Indonesia is a developing nation which, despite the large gains made in the economy, still has some major concerns in terms of the social services that are provided to Indonesian citizens. In major cities, such as Jakarta , healthcare services are readily available, and usually of an extremely high standard, however, this is not true everywhere in the country. The Indonesian healthcare system is complex and hugely varied, and on first glance, seems to be a mess. Since 1968 access to healthcare services around the country has improved, and most Indonesians are able to receive some form of care or treatment in the event of an emergency. In truth however, this care is often lacking in the quality and depth of the treatment options, and most medical facilities outside of major tourist destinations and urban centers will not be able to afford patients with comprehensive care.

Healthcare in Indonesia is provided, and funded, through a number of channels; Public, Private, Individual payment, Social security, and external/overseas funding. Traditionally, the system closely mirrored the conventional Dutch style of healthcare provision, a more minimalist approach than is familiar to many European cultures. As Indonesia attempted to revitalize its image during the 1970's and 1980's, the country failed to modernize the way in which it provided healthcare to its citizens, one of the reasons that until 1990 the average Indonesian life expectancy was only 52.75 years. Life expectancy has gone up, and even though there has been dramatic improvement in this area, it does not reflect the inequality in the Indonesian healthcare system.

One of the major problems with healthcare in Indonesia is that poor or rural citizens simply aren't able to obtain the healthcare that they need. A lack of government funding, coupled with a need for the medical facilities to realize a profit, no matter how slight, means that lower class Indonesians are unable to afford the cost of treatment. This is not to say that healthcare in Indonesia is expensive