JAKARTADAILY.ID – According to a survey issued by Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) in Health Trends 2023, the Medical Trend Rate or health costs in Indonesia are projected to increase to 13.6 percent in 2023.
This prediction of rising health costs in Indonesia is higher than Asia's projection at 11.5 percent, also exceeding Indonesia's financial inflation in 2022 of 5.5 percent.
The increase in the Medical Trend Rate was influenced by several factors, including inflation in medical and treatment costs, advances in health technology, and delays in treatment during a pandemic. This finding is in line with the increase in the amount of health service tariffs that was just implemented in early 2023 as stipulated in Minister of Health Regulation No. 3 of 2023 concerning Standard Health Service Tariffs in the implementation of the Health Insurance Program.
In response to this, PT Asuransi Allianz Life Indonesia Chief Product Officer Himawan Purnama said that medical costs always increase every year, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. However, preparation and how to react to it is an important key so that people can continue to prepare the best when health risks come.
For this reason, Himawan provides several tips for the Indonesian people to address medical inflation, as follows:
1. Maintain Health Conditions
The first way that can be done is to maintain a healthy condition, both physically and mentally. By maintaining health, of course, the risk of getting sick can be reduced, so that the need for medical services can be minimized.
The public is advised to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy food and exercising regularly.
"The latest research from JAMA Network Open states that regular exercise for 20 minutes can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. These three diseases require large medical costs," he explained, Thursday, March 23, 2023.
2. Increase the Emergency Fund
With increasing medical costs, the allocation of emergency funds should be increased according to existing inflation. In the financial pyramid, this emergency fund is a basic component that is able to maintain the life plan that we prepare. This is crucial. Apart from considering the ever-increasing health costs, also when we have a medical condition that is not good then productivity will decrease.
3. Have Health Protection
Another way to respond to medical inflation is to wisely manage risk management, in this case by having health protection. Health insurance can be an option, this self-protection instrument can help cover high health costs.
Having national mandatory health protection such as BPJS Health is the right step. However, if you have additional protection, such as a health insurance product from a private company, it is far more advisable for your comfort and peace of mind.
4. Make sure the health insurance policy is still active
If you already have health insurance, make sure the policy remains active so that there are no problems when you need medical treatment. Keep in mind, that usually with a fairly high increase in health inflation, insurance companies will adjust their insurance cost components.
To keep the policies that are owned active, insurance companies will advise their consumers to top up the premium on the policies they have, this happens to consumers who have health insurance products in the form of Investment-Linked Insurance Products (PAYDI). So make sure again whether the insurance product you have has an insurance cost adjustment.
5. Looking for More Affordable Health Facilities
The last way to react is to look for health facilities that are more affordable. Of course, this condition should be the last option. This is because if you are already exposed to a disease that requires intensive care if you do not have health protection it will still require the same amount of money.
In addition to these five tips, Himawan emphasized that medical inflation can be overcome if people have good financial planning. For this reason, Allianz Indonesia consistently carries out various financial literacy activities that help people to be able to carry out financial planning.
