“BPJS Kesehatan to Cover Cost of Free Cervical Cancer Test for National Health Insurance Participants”

CNN Indonesia

Friday, May 26 2023 10:55 WIB

Jakarta, CNNIndonesia —

BPJS Kesehatan will bear the inspection fee cervical cancer. This means that people who are participants in the national health insurance program can do a cervical cancer test for free.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin asked what methods were used to check for cervical cancer, including pap smears, IVA tests and HPV DNA. He called HPV DNA the same as PCR.

“I asked what to use for cervical cancer? Pap smears, then there is an IVA test. Then what is the gold standard? (It turns out to be an examination) HPV DNA. Well, it’s the same as PCR, so it’s molecular, huh,” Budi said at the Hari World Cancer 2023 last February, quoted from detikcom.

Budi said that his party has 1,000 PCR machines that can be used to check for cervical cancer. However, reagents are needed to detect cervical cancer. He then asked the experts whether they could make a special reagent to detect cervical cancer.

“Oh, you can (make reagents for the cervical cancer virus). Starting this year, we will start the HPV DNA test so that it can be more suitable. And it’s free to pay for BPJS,” said Budi.

Quoting the BPJS Health website, participants can detect cervical cancer early at first-level health facilities and institutions that have collaborated with BPJS Health such as the Indonesian Cancer Foundation.

Early detection of cervical cancer is included in the National Health Insurance Program (JKN) financing scheme so that participants do not have to pay the fee.

(fby/sfr)