IDI States JKN Patients May Wait Over a Year for Cataract Surgery

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), Slamet Budiarto, stated that patients participating in the National Health Insurance (JKN) program could wait more than a year for cataract surgery due to medical action quota limitations.

“For example, there are limitations on medical procedures in the quota, such as cataract surgeries. If you look it up on Google, it can take over a year to get the operation done,” said Slamet at the IDI headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Saturday (24/10/2026).

According to Slamet, the long waiting period can harm patients who must postpone necessary medical interventions.

During the wait, patients also risk experiencing conditions that disrupt their daily activities.

“They could suffer accidents and be unable to perform their tasks and functions, which is detrimental to them,” he stated.

He argued that these restrictions also place doctors in an ethical dilemma.

Doctors are supposed to perform medical actions according to indications and professional standards, but the implementation can be delayed due to quota limitations.

“Doctors must adhere to professional standards; if there is a valid indication, medical actions should be taken, unless the patient refuses. However, the regulations come from BPJS Kesehatan,” Slamet noted.

Slamet believes these issues reflect imbalances in funding, governance, and oversight within the JKN program.

As a result, the ultimate impact is felt by the public as healthcare service recipients.

In addition to medical action quota limitations, IDI highlighted postponed hospital claims and restrictions on referrals to specialist doctors.

This situation could disrupt hospital and doctor performance and potentially affect healthcare service quality.

Regarding restrictions on referrals to specialist doctors, Slamet cited an example of a patient visiting a general practitioner who needs specialist treatment but whose referral is delayed due to limitations set by BPJS Kesehatan.

“This is strange; according to the Ministry of Health's regulations, there are no specific limits for specialists. Unfortunately, the BPJS folks enforced this rule without any written guidelines—only verbal rules. This complicates matters for health facilities, doctors, and the public,” he explained.

Slamet asserted that these issues require resolution through policy harmonization and strengthened oversight by the National Social Security Council (DJSN).

He mentioned that IDI has repeatedly held meetings with the Ministry of Health and BPJS Kesehatan, but various issues remain unresolved.

To address JKN funding issues, Slamet indicated that IDI estimates the government would need to provide subsidies of around IDR 50 trillion to BPJS Kesehatan.

He argued that additional funding is necessary to resolve various issues in the implementation of JKN.

He also urged DJSN to enhance oversight of the JKN program's implementation.