It really depends on various factors.
For minor medical problems you can go directly to a BPJS clinic and get treated there without having to be referred to a different hospital. BPJS also has a Geriatric Department at their clinics so being treated for less serious issues can be very fast.
My father in law had a heart attack and got his stent put in, all under BPJS. No idea how much that would have cost if he'd paid for it himself, but BPJS fully covered it. That's one of the reasons I continue to use BPJS, just in case.
You get the same doctors when you use BPJS as the ones who do private or insurance. The main differences are that follow ups can be two weeks later instead of immediate or the same day. But things like radiography, consultancy fees etc are generally covered by BPJS.
At the hospital that I usually visit, when you register you take a different ticket for BPJS than for insured or private. There are more BPJS patients and the wait time is longer since they only provide one or two desks for BPJS whereas non BPJS patients have many desks.
When it comes to waiting to see a doctor, you are not placed last because you use BPJS.
For me, I will continue to pay for BPJS but depending on the illness I will decide whether to pay myself or use BPJS. - @wyngrove60
Yes, exactly as I said before, BPJS isn’t always bad.
But honestly, over the years I’ve had more negative experiences than positive ones, not just for myself but also when taking care of my mother, mother in law & wife.
One of the worst cases was with my mother in law. From 8 PM to 4 AM, we went from hospital to hospital looking for a special care room. Every time the admin heard she was a BPJS patient, suddenly the answer was “no rooms,†even when insiders confirmed there were still beds available.
In the end, out of frustration, we went to one of the hospitals that had rejected us before this time paying out of pocket & they admitted her immediately.
And honestly, that wasn’t the only time. I’ve got a few more stories, but I’ll keep it short here. ðŸ˜
Of course, experiences can vary & honestly, it might be quite different for foreigners too. I’m not here to bash BPJS. I still use it sometimes myself. It’s actually mandatory for employees in Indonesia, so through my office I have both BPJS & private insurance. What I’ve shared is just from my own experience & to be honest, some of it has been a bit traumatic. 😅