BPJS Kesehatan Speaks Out on Rp 26.47 Trillion Premium Arrears
The Director of BPJS Kesehatan, Ali Ghufron Mukti, has addressed the controversy surrounding the outstanding premiums totalling Rp 26.47 trillion. This issue arises amid a surge in inactive participants, leading the government to temporarily cover healthcare costs for those with severe illnesses whose subsidy status is problematic.
Ali Ghufron explained that the policy targets participants who were previously registered as Premium Assistance Recipients (PBI) but no longer meet the criteria, despite requiring expensive treatments. “It’s a mixed bag; this applies to those who no longer qualify for PBI but have catastrophic-cost diseases, such as dialysis and others,” he said in an interview with tvOnenews.com, as quoted on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Initially, the number of participants in this category stood at 120,472. However, some have since switched segments or reactivated their memberships independently, reducing the number of temporary beneficiaries. “The initial figure was 120,472, but several have moved segments or activated independently, so now around 103,000 are still being covered as PBI for up to three months,” he stated.
He emphasised that determining PBI status is not within BPJS Kesehatan’s authority, but rather falls under the government’s purview through the Ministry of Social Affairs. “It is not BPJS Kesehatan’s role to decide whether someone still qualifies as PBI or is removed,” he asserted.
This temporary payment policy is backed by legal regulations. The government, via the Ministry of Social Affairs, has issued specific rules effective from February 2026. “This comes from the Ministry of Social Affairs, so the matter should be resolved. (Ministerial Decree No. 3/HUK/2026, effective from February 2026) Whether someone is PBI or not is the Ministry of Social Affairs’ responsibility,” he clarified.
The Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, revealed that the total overdue premiums for BPJS Kesehatan have reached Rp 26.47 trillion. “In banking terms, we call this uncollectible debt at Rp 26.47 trillion. Interestingly, while the largest number of defaulters are in the PBI category—around 6.9 million people—in terms of rupiah value, the biggest amount comes from independent PBPU participants at Rp 22.2 trillion,” he said during a session at the House of Representatives, as quoted on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Notably, the government has found that many arrears stem from independent participants, including those in higher income brackets. The number of inactive participants has risen to approximately 63 million, up from about 49 million in 2025. “Those who often look at the figures can see that the non-payers are mostly from the higher classes,” he noted.
Inactive participants are divided into two categories: those with premium arrears and those who have switched membership segments. However, the number of those who have completely stopped paying remains significant. Around 13.8 million independent PBPU participants in that segment have not paid their premiums.