Health Budget Realization Down 34.8% Until October 2022

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani reported a 34.8 percent year-on-year (yoy) decrease in health budget realization to Rp131.7 trillion by the end of October 2022. In the same period last year, the realization reached Rp202 trillion.

She stated that this indicates increasingly controlled COVID-19 cases, resulting in reduced spending on COVID-19 handling.

"This decrease is positive, as COVID-19 is becoming more manageable and declining," she said, as quoted by Antara on Thursday, November 24, 2022.

The health budget comprises two components: COVID-19 handling and regular health issues outside of COVID-19. Of the total Rp131.7 trillion realization as of October 2022, Rp40.7 trillion was allocated to COVID-19 handling, while Rp91 trillion was for regular health programs.

The Rp40.7 trillion realization for COVID-19 handling decreased compared to Rp114.8 trillion in October of the previous year, while the Rp91 trillion realization for regular programs increased from Rp87.2 trillion.

Sri Mulyani detailed the health budget realization by component: Rp97.78 trillion for ministry/agency (K/L) spending, Rp8.46 trillion for non-K/L spending, and Rp25.49 trillion for transfers to regions and village funds (TKDD).

Generally, citing Antara, the Rp97.78 trillion health budget under K/L spending includes Rp37.7 trillion for the JKN PBI (Healthcare and Social Security Agency's Health Insurance for the Poor) program covering 94.3 million people and Rp25.3 trillion for COVID-19 patient care claims.

Non-K/L spending included Rp7.8 trillion for health insurance payments for civil servants/TNI/Polri (Indonesian National Armed Forces/National Police) and Rp409.4 billion for government-borne health tax subsidies (DTP).

Meanwhile, TKDD performance primarily focused on operational assistance for health (BOK)/family planning (BOKB) at Rp8.7 trillion, physical health BOK at Rp7.4 trillion, and village funds for COVID-19 handling at Rp4.6 trillion.