JKN Physiotherapy Claims Hit Rp5 Trillion, IFI Urges BPJS Bureaucratic Reform
Shifts in modern societal lifestyles have drastically altered the national health landscape. The threat of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now dominates, triggering a surge in demand for long-term physical rehabilitation services. Yet, high public demand for these movement restoration services remains hampered by lengthy bureaucratic procedures across various health facilities.
The Indonesian Physiotherapy Association (IFI) has revealed that the clinical financing burden for physiotherapy services under the National Health Insurance (JKN) scheme has reached a staggering figure of Rp5 trillion. This surge places physiotherapy as the third highest claim category within the state health insurance system.
IFI Secretary General Muh. Irfan explained that this phenomenon is a direct consequence of JKN membership coverage reaching 98 percent, or approximately 280 million people, amid an increasingly alarming NCD trend.
"Based on the latest 2025 national health survey, non-communicable diseases have reached 73 percent. Almost all NCD cases require physiotherapy intervention for movement system recovery," Irfan stated on the sidelines of the IFI 2026 National Congress and TITAFI XXXVIII at Harris Hotel, Malang, on Friday (12/6/2026).
Irfan highlighted that the high public need has not been matched by ease of access. Current social security regulations are considered to still restrict the clinical scope of physiotherapists. As a result, patient accumulation has reached 73 percent in hospitals because independent services at the primary level are not functioning optimally.
The referral pathway, which mandates a disposition from non-physiotherapy medical personnel, is deemed to prolong bureaucracy and hinder the acceleration of patient recovery. This is what triggers the soaring accumulation of claim values.
In order to curb the swelling state budget, IFI is urging BPJS Kesehatan management to overhaul the referral rules. The organisation, which now carries the hashtag #MOVEMENTSPECIALIST, is asking the government to grant full authority to physiotherapists to conduct independent assessments and diagnoses in accordance with the Health Law.
IFI believes that granting professional autonomy will create a far more efficient financing scheme. Cutting the bureaucratic pathway will not only save social security funds but also ensure the public receives faster treatment.
"We are actively providing input to BPJS so that processes and financing become efficient. The sole aim is for the public to recover faster and return to being productive," Irfan concluded.