Insurance program awareness low

JAKARTA (JP): Medical costs may be rising but public awareness on the importance of health insurance remains low, according to a director of the state-run insurance firm PT Asuransi Kesehatan Indonesia (Askes).

The firm's operations director, Sulastomo, said Thursday that people still put basic needs such as food, housing, clothing and education before health insurance.

"Health insurance is a relatively new concept for most Indonesians. People need to know that health insurance is important," Sulastomo said.

Officially, there are 24 million civil servants, war veterans, pensioners and retired military personnel who have health insurance polices. Sixteen million of them are with Askes.

Another 520,000 people, from state enterprises and the private sector, participate voluntarily in Askes' program.

The Indonesian Journalists' Association and PT Askes are planning to raise awareness by running joint seminars on Mobilization of Funds for Health Care Costs.

The seminar will be held in Yogyakarta on July 3, Surabaya on July 5 and Jakarta on July 7.

The seminars are expected to feature local and foreign health and insurance experts, including Paul Torrens of University of California's School of Public Health in Los Angeles, Glenn Melnick from Rand Corporation's Health Care Division and Paul Ritzen and from the Cz. Group in the Netherlands.

Askes officials say that health care costs are rising at such an alarming rate that they will surpass the inflation rate.

Infectious diseases are on the decline but diseases caused by lifestyles changes because of modernization are increasing.

Lifestyle health problems include cardiovascular illness -- including heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke -- diabetes melitus and cancer. These are expensive to treat and diagnose early.

Economic growth in Indonesia means people want better health care and health insurance. And many foreign and domestic investors are keen to get into the health market. (40)