Health Insurance for the Poor, Healthcare Use and Health Outcomes in Indonesia

This article evaluates the effects of the Health Insurance for the Poor program, Askeskin, using panel data from the 2000 and 2007 rounds of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS). Because Askeskin was not assigned to recipients randomly, difference-in-difference propensity score matching is used to estimate the treatment effects of the program on healthcare use. The results suggest heterogeneous effects across age, gender and poverty status. The overall use of outpatient healthcare increased primarily among females. The use of inpatient healthcare increased the most among elderly males, with no significant increase observed among elderly females. While the increase in the use of outpatient healthcare was larger for the poor, the increase in the use of inpatient healthcare was larger for the non-poor, especially in rural areas. Although healthcare use increased among Askeskin recipients, the results suggest no significant improvements in health outcomes.