761 hospital admissions worth Rs 1.12 crore approved under PMJAY for transgender beneficiaries: MoS Health Bhagel

As per this MoU, the transgender community are provided healthcare benefits under the SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) framework launched by MoSJE. Any member of transgender community registered on National Portal for Transgender Persons is eligible for free health care facilities at any of the AB PM-JAY empaneled hospitals.

Additionally, all transgender persons affected by HIV/AIDS are provided free-of-cost Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) at the ART Centers and additional support services through Care and Support Centers in a stigma free and inclusive manner as per standards of care. The Government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) across the country supported through the National Health Mission implemented at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Mental health services are part of the package of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care under Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) Scheme. AB PM-JAY provides treatment corresponding to a total of 1949 procedures under 27 different specialties, of which, 19 procedures are related to “mental disorders” specialty. “National Tele Mental Health Programme” (NTMHP) has been launched to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. Eligible individuals including transgender community are entitled to free health care services under the schemes.

AB PM-JAY is the largest publicly funded health assurance scheme in the world which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 Crore poor families. Beneficiary families were predominantly identified on the basis of select deprivation and occupational criteria in rural and urban areas respectively from SECC database of 2011.

States which have not been able to identify eligible beneficiaries as per SECC database, have been provided flexibility to use non-SECC database to identify leftover (unverified) SECC beneficiaries. Further, it may kindly be noted that any individual including transgenders eligible as per the criteria defined under SECC 2011 (ref. Annexure – I) or those prescribed by State / UTs for non-SECC beneficiaries is entitled to free healthcare services under the scheme.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. S.P. Singh Bhagel stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.