Hantavirus is Here: Be Careful, Your Wallet Could Also Get Infected!
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Cases of hantavirus have emerged and are attracting global health attention. Although it has not become a major epidemic like Covid-19, this disease is quite worrying because of its high fatality rate and often unnoticed transmission.
We often think that health threats are only about the risk of illness. In reality, serious illnesses can also threaten our financial condition. High treatment costs and loss of income due to inability to work can erode savings in a short time. This is where the importance of having financial health protection from an early age comes in.
The hantavirus case is a reminder that health threats do not always come from “popular” diseases. There are many medical risks that emerge suddenly and require large costs.
People often only realize the importance of health protection when they are in the emergency room. In fact, health costs continue to increase every year. The increase in the cost of inpatient care, medicines, and modern medical procedures makes the financial risk due to illness even greater.
Without adequate protection, emergency savings and even long-term investments can be drained just for one serious treatment episode.
Why is Health Insurance Important?
In this economic situation, health insurance is no longer just a lifestyle complement, but part of financial planning that can protect your wallet from being infected by the virus that attacks your health.
There are at least three main reasons why health protection is becoming increasingly important. First, medical costs continue to rise. Medical inflation in Indonesia tends to be higher than general inflation. This means that hospital costs increase much faster than the income of some people.
Second, illness comes without a schedule. No one ever plans to get seriously ill. The risk can come at any time, even from something as simple as an unhygienic environment.
Third, maintaining financial stability. Insurance helps maintain the family’s cash flow so that it is not immediately shaken when a health emergency occurs.
Is BPJS Enough?
BPJS Kesehatan (Indonesia’s national health insurance) plays a very important role as basic protection for the community. However, in practice, many people are starting to consider additional health insurance due to several factors, including limitations in certain facilities, service queues, choices of inpatient rooms, to the need for premium private hospitals.
The combination of BPJS Kesehatan and private health insurance is often a more optimal protection strategy. Moreover, the government is currently improving the cooperation system (Coordination of Benefit) between BPJS Kesehatan and private insurance. In POJK 36/2025, the CoB scheme is replaced with a scheme of cooperation between insurance providers (KAPJ).
One of the most common mistakes is buying insurance after starting to have a history of illness. In fact, this condition can make premiums more expensive or even the policy application rejected.
The younger and healthier a person is, the more affordable the premium costs. Therefore, having health insurance should be seen as an anticipatory step, not a response when you are already sick.
The cases of hantavirus and other viruses remind us that health risks can come from things that seem trivial around us.
Maintaining environmental hygiene remains important. But in an era of rising health costs, maintaining the family’s financial condition is equally important. Because when illness comes suddenly, what is tested is not only immunity and physical health, but also financial resilience.