The Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under the Department of Empowerment of People with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The New India Assurance Company Limited on providing a comprehensive and affordable Health Insurance Scheme - “Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme” - for the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

About the scheme

• Objective is to provide affordable Health Insurance to persons with blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, loco-motor Disability, mental Retardation and mental Illness. It also aims to improve the general Health condition & quality of life of persons with disabilities. 
• The scheme has been designed to deliver comprehensive cover to the beneficiary as well as his family.
• It has a single premium across age band and can be availed by PwDs aged between 18 years and 65 years with family annual income of less than Rs. 3,00,000 per annum.
• The scheme also ensures coverage of any pre-existing condition and a health Insurance cover up to Rs. 2,00,000 per annum as family floater.

The scheme will be implemented through active participation of the National Institutes and Composite Regional Centres for Persons with Disabilities under the DEPwD, MOSJ&E. Under the MoU, the New India Assurance Company Limited will create a network of Hospitals, where the Insured persons can get cashless treatment.

New India Assurance Company Limited

• The New India Assurance Co. Ltd., based in Mumbai, is one of the five Wholly Government of India owned assurance companies of India
• It is the “largest general insurance company of India on the basis of gross premium collection inclusive of foreign operations.
• It was founded by Sir Dorabji Tata in 1919, and was nationalised in 1973.