Universal health insurance was launched in 2014 under the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) scheme: an initial aim was to provide coverage to all Indonesians by 2019 and the scheme is now well on track, with over 75% of the population already covered.

As an expat, you will not be eligible for national healthcare and you should make sure either that your employer has arranged comprehensive private coverage as part of your employment package, or that you take out private cover yourself. Many expats travel to Singapore for their healthcare needs, so you should check that any private cover you take out covers treatment in Singapore or neighbouring regions, and also has provision for medical evacuation.

If you apply for a Limited Stay Visa (KITAS) you will need to present private health cover as part of your application.

As an expat, you will not be eligible to join the national health insurance scheme.

Indonesia’s national scheme covers both primary and secondary care.

Retirees are not covered by state medical insurance.

Students will not be covered by state medical insurance. You will need to take out private cover and can sign up for a policy specifically designed for international students. Consult with your educational provider to see if they recommend any specific private cover.

Your family will not be covered by state medical insurance and you will need to take out a private plan which includes any dependants.

You will not be eligible to access dental treatment under the national scheme.

This will not apply to expats, but employees currently pay a contribution of 5% of their salaries: 1% paid by the employee and 4% paid by their employer. Informal workers and the self-employed pay a fixed monthly premium of between 25,500 and 59,500 (£1.34 - £3.12).

As outlined above, you only have two primary choices if you are going to be working in Indonesia:

• Private cover from a local or an international provider. Most expats take out cover with international insurance providers who can cover neighbouring countries and medical evacuation.
• Out-of-pocket payments. In Indonesia this can be a very expensive option.

A minor operation can cost around $70. A day’s stay in hospital will cost in the region of $34 - $100, and costs can easily mount up. A general consultation at the private Medistra Hospital will cost around $27. Costs at International SOS range from about $40 for a general consultation and about $50 for a consultation with a specialist. Inpatient care here can cost $220 or more for a day’s care. Most private sector hospitals will permit you to pay out of pocket, but will ask for full payment at the time of treatment.

There are a growing number of private clinics in Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta, but overseas doctors can only be hired in a consultancy capacity and many facilities do not provide a high standard of care.

Private insurance will cover a full range of both primary and secondary care. Given that Indonesia has a high rate of natural disasters and subsequent issues such as water-borne diseases, it is essential that your private health insurance cover has provision for medical evacuation.

This will depend on factors such as your age and any pre-existing conditions, and the kind of package you opt for; a more expensive insurance package will give you more a extensive range of treatment and facilities. As so many variables have an effect on the cost of international private medical insurance in China, it becomes very difficult to give accurate estimates without knowing the full details of the coverage required. However, as a very rough guide, using a standard profile of a 40-year-old British male with no deductibles, no co-insurance, a middle-tier plan, all modules included and worldwide coverage excluding the US, a ballpark price of around £4,000/$5,000 might be expected. Were coverage to be expanded to include the US then the premium could increase to almost double that amount.

The main international providers cover Indonesia, including:

• AETNA
• Allianz
• Cigna Global
• Foyer Global
Pacific Prime

Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) scheme - Indonesia’s national health insurance plan