The ethical dilemma of medical specialists in the era of national health insurance in Semarang

Purpose: The National Health Insurance (JKN) implemented by the Indonesian government since 2014 has brought Indonesia to a new phase in realizing the right to health for its people. The social insurance system managed by Social Health Insurance Administration Body (BPJS) is felt to bring many benefits to the community despite many obstacles in its implementation. This study seeks to find the ethical dilemmas experienced by surgical and non-surgical specialists in implementing the JKN program in hospitals. Methods: The study was conducted using the qualitative method with the phenomenological approach by conducting in-depth interviews with five surgical specialists (an obstetric and gynecology, an otolaryngologist specialist, a surgeon, an eye specialist, and an anaesthesiologist) and six non-surgical specialists (children, mental health, internal medicine, medical rehabilitation, nerves, and skin specialists) in Semarang, Indonesia. In each specialization, there are two respondents interviewed. The data were analyzed using a qualitative approach. Results: Some problems still exist when specialist doctors treat BPJS patients in hospitals, which include: 1) lack of socialization, making doctors as implementers find it difficult to implement the rules; 2) different implementations in various hospitals, making doctors find it difficult to adjust when they practice at type C hospitals because the number of claims is often insufficient to provide services to patients; 3) the JKN program that has increased the number of patients, resulting in doctors’ concerns about lawsuits if they make mistakes; moreover, doctors also have to adjust to existing cost claims; and 4) doctors still trying to uphold the doctor’s oath and The Indonesian Medical Ethics Code (KODEKI) and always do the best for patients whatever the problem. Conclusion: The implementation of JKN must always be evaluated continuously, and the government still has to pay attention to the obstacles faced by doctors in the field. In carrying out their practice full of dilemmas, doctors must always receive adequate legal and ethical protection.