The Indian government has been consistently working on improving healthcare and quality of living of Indian citizens by promoting services like health insurance plans for family. In pursuit of fostering social welfare, the government has introduced a Niramaya health insurance scheme that provides financial support to Persons with Disabilities (PwD). This scheme extends comprehensive coverage for quality medical assistance, hospitalisation bills, and valid transportation costs.
Some of the critical features of the Niramaya scheme are:
- Maximum coverage of Rs. 1 lakh is assured to meet medical expenses.
- Comprehensive health insurance coverage, including Outpatient Department (OPD) treatments, regular checkups, preventive care, non-surgical hospitalisation, surgeries, and therapy for congenital disabilities.
- The primary objective of Niramaya insurance is to provide affordable health insurance to persons with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
- The scheme also covers the transportation to and from medical facilities. This will make healthcare services more accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Niramaya health insurance also includes pre-insurance medical tests, which ensure swift access to healthcare without the complexities of extensive medical examinations.
- The premium for this plan is set at Rs. 250, while for people above the poverty line, it is Rs. 500.
- The scheme provides access to all the hospitals, making the Niramaya health insurance scheme unique in itself in terms of coverage and accessibility.
Niramaya health insurance eligibility
All PwDs with disability certificates of at least one of the listed ( in the National Trust Act of 1999) disabilities are eligible to apply for the Niramaya insurance scheme. Furthermore, to support eligibility and enjoy cashless health insurance benefits, there should be valid documents like proof of disability, proof of age, identity proof, and income certificate (for BPL families).
How to apply for the Niramaya scheme?
To get Niramaya health insurance apply online, you need to -
1. Visit the official website - https://thenationaltrust.gov.in/auth/beneficiary_ind.php.
2. Fill in the required fields to complete the application process along with the required documents.
To apply for a Niramaya health card in an offline format, follow the following steps:
1. Visit the official website https://thenationaltrust.gov.in/content/innerpage/schemes.php
2. Look for the scheme tab, click on the Niramaya scheme and open the download tab.
3. Now find the Download Enrolment Form button and download the form from there.
4. Fill out the form and attach all the relevant documents.
5. Now approach your nearest Regional office, where they will take care of the entire process, and they will upload all the documents for you online.
6. The RO office will then submit the form to the National Trust portal along with the application fees.
7. Once all the details get validated, you will get your Niramaya e card.
8. Niramaya health card download can now be done via the official website using the application ID number.
Documents required for online registration to Niramaya
To complete the Niramaya scheme registration process, you need to submit the following documents -
- A certificate of disability that is issued by the competent government authority or the district hospital of the resident.
- Government ID with photo
- A valid address proof (e.g. voter ID card)
- Passport size photograph
- Income proof of less than 3 lakh (if applicable)
- Bank account details
- Payment slip of application fee
Moreover, these documents will be needed at the time of Niramaya health card renewal online. So, keep these documents safe and handy.
How to download a Niramaya health card?
With the Niramaya card, you can easily avail benefits of this scheme. Facilities like cashless health insurance are provided to the policyholder in association with the network hospitals of the insurer. In the case of the Niramaya scheme, all government hospitals will provide this benefit.
However, the following are the steps for the Niramaya health card download:
- Visit the National Trust’s official website.
- Go to the “Schemes” section and click on the Niramaya scheme.
- Now, download an application form.
- Fill out the form and visit your Registered organisation (RO) to submit the form with the required fees.
- For Niramaya card download online, go to the same website and click on the e-card section.
- Input your application number, and you can easily download your Niramaya card.
Renewal process of Niramaya insurance card
Follow the given steps for Niramaya health card renewal online:
- Visit the Registration Organisation with the required documents to renew the Niramaya card.
- The RO will verify the documents and provide the renewal link on the Niramaya website.
- At this stage, you need to pay a renewal cost of Rs. 250 for non-BPL and Rs. 50 for BPL beneficiaries.
- Once you pay the amount, your Niramaya health card will be renewed for another year.
Under the heading of health insurance plans for family, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched this pioneering initiative to meet the healthcare needs of PwDs in India. The Niramaya health insurance scheme helps improve access to medical treatment and rehabilitation for PwDs all across India. The registration process for this scheme is easy. As a guardian of any PwD, you can easily follow the Niramaya health insurance apply online process. You are also provided with a Niramaya card download option, which you can use to get a physical or e-card for fast access to benefits associated with the scheme.
