Health Ministry Talks of Financing Impact of Free Health Checkups

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Director General of Public Health at the Health Ministry, Maria Endang Sumiwi, stated that the Free Health Check (CKG) program has the potential to reduce national health expenditures in the long term, though the impact may not be apparent in its first year.

"Savings will definitely occur, but will they happen in the first year? Not necessarily," said Maria Endang during a virtual press conference evaluating the CKG program's achievements on Friday, January 23, 2026.

According to Maria, CKG is designed to detect diseases early, even before a patient exhibits symptoms. With early detection, treatment can be administered at primary care facilities, such as community health centers and clinics, which is far more cost-effective than treating chronic conditions or performing advanced medical procedures in hospitals.

Maria explained that without early detection, many cases of hypertension and diabetes risk developing into serious complications, such as kidney failure, stroke, or heart disease. "The cost of hemodialysis, stroke surgery, or heart surgery is much higher than managing hypertension on a daily basis," she remarked.

Throughout the implementation of the CKG, the Health Ministry identified millions of cases of high blood pressure. Maria noted that approximately 7 million cases of hypertension were found among adults, a figure that rises to around 10 million when including the elderly. If this group can be consistently managed at primary health care facilities, the risk of serious complications can be significantly mitigated.

However, she admitted that the program’s initial phase saw an increase in the financing burden. This was driven by a spike in the discovery of previously undetected diseases. "In the first year, we found more diseases, but we found them at an early stage, which is cheaper to treat," Maria said.

Maria believes that savings will only manifest in the coming years, as these cases are prevented from progressing into chronic diseases requiring expensive interventions. Consequently, in 2026, the Health Ministry will focus on strengthening treatment management and continuity rather than just initial screenings.

This statement also serves as a response to President Prabowo Subianto's claim that CKG will lead to state budget savings. Prabowo described the CKG program as a rational policy designed to safeguard the state budget over the long term.

"We provide free health checks to all Indonesian citizens; this is not a populist program, but a rational one aimed at saving money," Prabowo stated in a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, as quoted by Antara on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

The head of state remains confident that the free health check program will reduce the long-term burden of medical costs through early disease detection.

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