SMILE: Composite Medical Health for Transgender Persons

What is SMILE Composite Medical Health for transgender persons?

SMILE; Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise; is an umbrella scheme launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in February 2022. It has two broad sub-schemes: one for the welfare and rehabilitation of transgender persons, and one for persons engaged in the act of begging. The Composite Medical Health component sits within the transgender sub-scheme and is focused specifically on the health needs of transgender people.

Transgender persons in India frequently face barriers to healthcare, including transition-related care that is expensive and hard to access. The Composite Medical Health package responds to this by offering a comprehensive healthcare package covering transition-related treatment, including gender-reaffirmation (sex reassignment) surgery, hormone therapy and post-operative support: delivered in convergence with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) through empanelled hospitals.

According to government statements reported in the press, the scheme provides health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per transgender beneficiary per year for this composite package, redeemable at empanelled private and government healthcare facilities. The government has also reported that over 3,000 transgender persons had accessed composite healthcare services under AB PM-JAY in convergence with SMILE. Because package values and convergence terms can be revised, the Rs 5 lakh figure is stated here as the reported cover — confirm the current amount on the official transgender portal before relying on it.

Who is eligible for the composite medical health benefit?

You can apply if:

• You are a transgender person living in India.
• You hold, or apply for, a Transgender Certificate and Identity Card issued through the National Portal for Transgender Persons.

You cannot apply if you are not a transgender person. This is not a general public health scheme, but a targeted benefit for the transgender community. The composite package is tied to the transgender identity certificate issued under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act framework, so obtaining that certificate is the gateway to the benefit. A person who has not applied for or received the Transgender Certificate and Identity Card would first need to complete that step.

Unlike many social-welfare schemes that are income-tested, the composite medical health benefit is aimed at the transgender community as a whole to improve their health outcomes, rather than being restricted by a BPL cut-off.

What documents are required?

How to apply for SMILE Composite Medical Health

1. Visit the National Portal for Transgender Persons at transgender.dosje.gov.in. The official portal of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for transgender welfare.
2. Register and apply for the Transgender Certificate and Identity Card, which is issued free of cost and is the basis for accessing the composite health package.
3. Complete Aadhaar-based identity verification and upload the required details as prompted on the portal.
4. Access the Composite Medical Health services linked to your certificate, availing transition-related treatment at empanelled healthcare facilities in convergence with AB PM-JAY.
5. Use empanelled hospitals for gender-reaffirmation surgery, hormone therapy and post-operative support as covered under the package.

There is no fee for the Transgender Certificate, the identity card or the portal application. Applicants who face difficulty using the portal can seek help through the ministry's social-defence support channels.

What the package covers

The Composite Medical Health package is designed to cover the full arc of transition-related care:

• Gender-reaffirmation (sex reassignment) surgery at empanelled hospitals.
• Hormone therapy as part of medical transition.
• Post-operative support and follow-up care.

By routing this through AB PM-JAY convergence, the scheme lets transgender beneficiaries use the same cashless, empanelled-hospital infrastructure that supports Ayushman Bharat, while the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment funds the transgender-specific package.

Help and where to verify

• National Portal for Transgender Persons: transgender.dosje.gov.in
• SMILE / social-defence helpline: 14567
• MyScheme listing for the Composite Medical Health component

For readers, the key point is that access starts with the Transgender Certificate and Identity Card. Once that identity document is in hand, the composite medical health benefit, reported at up to Rs 5 lakh cover per year through AB PM-JAY; becomes accessible for transition-related healthcare.