Health insurance

Thank you for your articles highlighting the problems faced by the unemployed, or those not covered by health insurance schemes at work.

Unfortunately, having medical insurance from your employer does not always solve the problem. A good friend of mine worked as a training officer for PT Asuransi Sewu New York Life (SNYL). Working for a reputable insurance company, he naturally assumed the hospitalization insurance would be of a good standard.

In June 1998 he was admitted for cancer surgery, and for the following two months underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, standard treatment for cancer. After his tragic death in August last year, in addition to their grief, his family faced a medical bill of well over Rp 30 million.

As his family lives in Aceh, I was asked by them to deal with his employers. On investigation, it seems that although Sewu New York Life provides up to 80 percent coverage, this is subject to a maximum of four times the monthly salary, limiting my friend's coverage to Rp 4 million.

Hospitalization costs have gone up dramatically in the last year, and salary levels have not. I was sure SNYL had not realized what a small amount of medical coverage they now provided and would want to review their coverage. Unfortunately, the reaction has been to stick rigidly to their policy. Finally the president director, Donald Carden, threatened to sue me if I pursued the matter, followed by a letter from their lawyers.

If you have medical insurance from your employer, look carefully at the details. Working for a famous insurance multinational seems to be no guarantee of enough coverage to pay your hospital bills.

JAMES HOLLINGTON

Jakarta