The government’s Free Health Check-up Program (CKG) is not merely an initiative to elevate the public’s quality of life; it stands as a pivotal preventive strategy designed to bolster BPJS Kesehatan’s financial resilience against the escalating burden of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
This groundbreaking program is now positioned as the cornerstone of national health transformation. Through widespread early detection and improved treatment adherence, the aim is to significantly reduce mortality rates from chronic illnesses from the outset, simultaneously ensuring the financial sustainability of BPJS Kesehatan.
Republic of Indonesia’s Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, emphatically stressed the critical need to reinforce both promotive and preventive healthcare approaches. This, he explained, is essential to prevent citizens from succumbing to severe ailments that necessitate exorbitant medical expenses.
“As a government, we aspire to diminish future healthcare burdens and enhance the quality of life for our populace. Both the government and BPJS Kesehatan must actively encourage people to utilize these free health check-ups. For instance, if someone has high blood pressure, consistent medication intake is vital to avert serious consequences like a stroke or a heart attack,” stated the Minister.
Historically, BPJS Kesehatan’s funding has been disproportionately consumed by catastrophic diseases—conditions that could largely be prevented if early detection mechanisms were optimally utilized. Recognizing this imbalance, the CKG program extends beyond mere screening.
Crucially, the CKG program is now oriented towards more disciplined and comprehensive follow-up management. “Through this year’s free health check-up program, our focus will shift to meticulous treatment implementation, not just the initial examinations. The ultimate goal is to ensure that communities genuinely become healthier,” he elaborated.
Minister Budi Gunadi further highlighted that the three primary triggers for heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke are uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol. Without serious intervention, the prevalence of these cases will continue to surge, placing an unsustainable strain on the national health insurance system.
Initial data, according to the Minister, indicates that follow-up on CKG results currently stands at approximately 8 percent. To address this, the Ministry of Health will strengthen its monitoring mechanisms this year, ensuring that patients rigorously adhere to their prescribed treatments after detection.
This strategic move, Budi affirmed, is not solely about curbing state expenditures; more profoundly, it is about safeguarding and improving the quality of life for millions of Indonesian citizens. “The objective is to curb the skyrocketing costs—which heavily burden BPJS Kesehatan concerning heart disease, stroke, and kidney issues. Concurrently, the quality of life for the community can be significantly improved through this promotife and preventive CKG program,” he explained.
Insights from the December 2025 JKN Program Management Report reveal that the financial burden of the National Health Insurance (JKN) remains predominantly driven by services at Advanced Healthcare Facilities, accounting for a staggering 87 percent of the total costs.
Data from the Ministry of Health underscores the escalating challenge, showing that the JKN burden soared by Rp81.8 trillion, marking a substantial 75.5 percent increase from 2019 to 2025. The most significant surge, amounting to Rp73.8 trillion, was specifically attributed to advanced referral services.
This dramatic cost escalation is primarily fueled by high-cost chronic diseases. Funding allocated for heart disease treatment surged by 68.8 percent, from Rp10.28 trillion to Rp17.35 trillion. Even more strikingly, expenses for kidney failure spiked by an astounding 476.2 percent, escalating from Rp2.32 trillion to Rp13.38 trillion.
Other severe conditions also contributed significantly to the financial strain: cancer costs rose by 170.2 percent, stroke by 182.9 percent, thalassemia by 67.6 percent, and hemophilia by 124.2 percent. This alarming trend unequivocally demonstrates that the predominant financial weight on JKN continues to be the management of diseases that are, in fact, largely preventable through early intervention.