Deputy Health Minister Urges BPJS to Cover Bone Marrow Transplant Costs

Jakarta: Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono is urging BPJS Kesehatan (the national health insurance agency) to resume covering the costs of bone marrow transplants for blood cancer patients.

He noted that financing issues remain a major obstacle to the development of transplant services in Indonesia.

"There is only one obstacle: the issue of financing. If this financing issue can be resolved, we certainly wouldn't lag behind the Philippines or Vietnam," Dante said at Dharmais Cancer Hospital in West Jakarta on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Dante stated that transplant costs remain a challenge for patients requiring the procedure. He noted that while BPJS Kesehatan previously provided financial assistance, it no longer covers these costs.

Meanwhile, the government welcomes the development of bone marrow transplant services at Dharmais Cancer Hospital. According to Dante, this initiative offers an alternative treatment for patients, eliminating the need to seek therapy abroad.

"I am assigning this task: we need to find a breakthrough so that BPJS can cover the cost of this definitive therapy in the future," Dante said.

Several private insurance companies also cover transplant costs. The government is encouraging the expansion of these services to ensure more patients can access the therapy domestically.