Local Guide

BPJS for Expats: Indonesian National Healthcare Insurance for Foreigners

Hello FlokqJune 15, 2020

Public healthcare services quality in Indonesia might not be the best. No wonder many ex-pats and foreigners prefer to use private health insurance during their stay in Indonesia. However, the new regulation in Indonesia requires expatriates to have BPJS Kesehatan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. BPJS Ketenagakerjaan is the insurance to cover your hospital costs as an employee for accidents during working hours. At the same time, this type of BPJS also includes a pension scheme. On the other hand, BPJS Kesehatan covers healthcare for residents in general, but will not cover the cost of accidents at work. This BPJS is needed to extend your license to work in Indonesia or in other words, to renew your IMTAS. This health insurance policy has been implemented nationwide for both locals and expatriates. For foreigners, it applies to those residing in Indonesia for more than 6 months. 

Everyone who lives in Indonesia can benefit from this program. Not only for the expatriates at the local companies but also local workers employed by expatriates in Indonesia. In 2017, Manpower Minister Dhakiri introduced Manpower Law No.40/2004 and Law No.24/2011. It says that all foreigners working in Indonesia for more than six months must become a member of BPJS. The procedure that ex-pats have to go through to apply for this health insurance is the same as that of the locals. However, it’s rare for expatriates to apply for it themselves. It should be the employer’s responsibility to take care of their expatriates’ insurance coverage. Therefore, expatriates should ask their employer directly about this issue. But, if you have to apply for it yourself, you can follow the same steps as the locals in the “applying for BPJS as an employer” section. The difference is that you can register with your ITAS/ITAP.

Ask your Employer

It’s only normal to feel confused with the health insurance in Indonesia as it is divided into BPJS Kesehatan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. Don’t hesitate to contact your employer to assist you with this. They usually have connections to third party agencies that can help you to handle these documents. If you work for a company, you can obtain comprehensive health insurance through them. If you come to Indonesia with some kind of working contract, you should ask your employer if they provide the medical policy required to cover the needs of your family and yours. 

It is a necessity for companies in Indonesia to provide medical insurance for their staff and their family members. This rule is also applicable for expatriate workers, not only permanent Indonesian staff. So, it’s important to check in details from your employer to make sure that your policy is enough to cover you and your family members’ needs.

You need to make sure that your employer had your insurance coverage ready before you moved in. Especially when it’s a relatively new company. Your employer and you might have different views on what is considered enough. That’s why it’s better to disclose it as early as possible. After you received the details, it’s also important to understand what does the medical coverage provided by your employer cover. Does it include major incidents like surgery or just basic medical concerns?

Like any other insurance, you also need to pay the premium of your health insurance. Your salary and your status (single or married) and how many kids you have affects the amount of the premium. The premium needs to be paid monthly so it’s important to set a budget aside for this. BPJS Ketenagakerjaan is divided into three coverage categories. There are workplace accident security (JKK), old age security (JHT), and death security (JK). You can claim this BPJS after at least 1 month upon your resignation from your company.

Read also : Best Health Insurances for Expat in Indonesia

As an Employer

As mentioned earlier, employers should cover their workers’ BPJS. It means that if you’re an expatriate and you have locals working for you, you are considered an employer. For this matter, you can’t contact your employer or any companies to handle it since you’re the employer yourself.

Here is the procedure to register your workers for BPJS:

1. Make sure your workers have a bank account in one of the banks designated by the Indonesian government. It can be Bank Mandiri, BRI, or BNI. 

2. Once they opened the bank account, ask your workers to register themselves at the closest BPJS Office. They should also bring these documents along:

a. Completed registration form

b. Copy of KTP (Indonesian National ID card)

c. Copy of Kartu Keluarga (KK- family card)

d. 2 Photos: 3 x 4 cm for each member of the family

e. May also be asked for your NPWP

It is important to note that everyone listed in the Kartu Keluarga must all sign up for this health insurance at the same time. So, your workers need to check whether their Kartu Keluarga is the up to date one or not. Deceased family members need to be removed and married children will have their own Kartu Keluarga. You wouldn’t want to pay for things you actually shouldn’t pay, right?

If you think this process is too much of a hassle and consumes most of your workers’ time, you can go to the BPJS website at www.bpjs-kesehatan.go.id. You can register online and it also avoids the long wait at the BPJS office. Another tip is to access the website in the middle of the night. It is because the traffic on the website will be relatively low so the servers won’t be overloaded.

3. Your workers can register themselves and their family members including a spouse and up to 3 children. The first monthly contribution needs to be paid on the registration day. They will get to choose the level of contribution according to the class they will get in case of hospitalization. There are first class, second class, and third class with the first-class having the highest contribution level. After choosing a level of contribution, your workers will not be able to change it easily. So, it’s important to think carefully about this. Once your workers are registered, the contribution needs to be paid monthly through the bank.

As this procedure can take up your workers’ time if they do it themselves, you should suggest they register online. However, if your workers’ are not familiar enough with the online environment, they can call BPJS Hotline on 0812-8415124 to find out where to register in person.