The health insurance and its effect on health care utilization in Indonesia

Abstract

The health insurance program has become a global commitment, encouraging governments in every country, including Indonesia, to strive to provide national coverage for all citizens. However, research on the link between health insurance ownership and health care utilization shows mixed results. This study investigates the effect of health insurance on health care utilization from a demand perspective, treating individuals as economic agents. Using national socioeconomic survey data encompassing education, health, employment, housing, and expenditure, we employed logistic regression to analyze the empirical model. Our results indicated that health insurance can increase the utilization of health care, meaning that individuals with health insurance are more inclined to access health care when ill compared to those without coverage. Health insurance is also important for women because they are more vulnerable to health problems and have the potential for increased healthcare utilization when they are sick. It highlights a stronger likelihood of healthcare utilization among the insured population. This finding also supports the previous claim that health insurance improves access to healthcare utilization. We suggest that ownership and coverage must be expanded so that, in the future, all citizens have health insurance and can access healthcare.