Examining the impact of health insurance and socioeconomic factors on children’s hospitalization in Indonesia: an empirical analysis

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of different types of healthcare and insurance on the health of Indonesian youth. The study employs logistic regression, a statistical method used to analyze relationships between variables and predict outcomes. Data were collected through an Indonesia’s National Socio-Economic Survey, which gathers information from individuals within a household. The findings reveal that Indonesia’s National Health Insurance (with or without subsidies) reduces the likelihood of children being hospitalized. Families enrolled in the program, often from low- to middle-income backgrounds with limited access to healthcare, benefit significantly from this initiative, which provides affordable and essential health services. This program allows these families to access healthcare that would otherwise be unaffordable. However, private and employer-sponsored insurance did not reduce hospitalization rates, likely because families in these plans already benefit from better overall health, nutrition and access to health-promoting activities. In contrast, children without insurance are more likely to be hospitalized due to their location and economic and financial constraints. Other determinant factors affecting children’s health included age, sex, parent’s education, smoking behavior and house location. The results showed that older children were generally healthier, children of well-educated and non-smoking parents were less likely to be hospitalized and those living in urban areas had a higher likelihood of hospitalization than those in rural areas. This study highlights the importance of expanding access to health insurance and promoting parental education and non-smoking behavior to improve children’s overall health. Failing to address these issues could create challenges for the future, given that the current young generation will eventually become the nation’s leaders.