You may be able to get VA benefits to help pay for nursing home care. It depends on your income and the level of your service-connected disability (a disability that resulted from your military service).
Full Answer
Do VA benefits cover assisted living?
Veterans’ widows may be eligible for VA benefits that can help pay for assisted living. The benefit is called Aid and Attendance. It is a reimbursement for long-term care. The maximum benefit amount for a qualified veteran’s widow is $1,228 per month, tax-free.
Does the VA offer long term care?
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides both short-term and long-term care in nursing homes to veterans who aren't sick enough to be in the hospital but are too disabled or elderly to take care of themselves. Priority is given to veterans with service-connected disabilities.
What are the nursing home benefits for veterans?
- the veteran has no dependents
- the veteran is living in a Medicaid-approved nursing facility, and
- the nursing home care is paid for by Medicaid.
What conditions qualify for VA disability benefits?
You may be able to get VA disability benefits for conditions such as:
- Chronic (long-lasting) back pain resulting in a current diagnosed back disability
- Breathing problems resulting from a current lung condition or lung disease
- Severe hearing loss
- Scar tissue
- Loss of range of motion (problems moving your body)
- Ulcers
- Cancers caused by contact with toxic chemicals or other dangers
Do VA nursing homes take all your money?
In some cases, the VA will help pay for a veteran's care at a State Veterans Home. The payments the VA will make are called per diem aid. A home must meet the VA standards for nursing home care to receive per diem aid. In addition, the VA will not pay more than half the cost of the veteran's care.
Does the VA pay for nursing home care for spouse?
VA Aid and Attendance may be used to offset care costs as long as assistance with daily activities is provided by another person. This means veterans and widowed spouses in senior living facilities may receive financial assistance to pay for assisted living, memory care, home care, or nursing home care.
Can you have Medicare and VA benefits?
You can have both Medicare and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, but Medicare and VA benefits do not work together. Medicare does not pay for any care that you receive at a VA facility. In order for your VA coverage to cover your care, you must generally receive health care services at a VA facility.
How much will the VA pay my wife to be my caregiver?
Effective 12/1/21 through 11/30/22, a single veteran with no dependents may be entitled to as much as $2,050 / month, a married veteran or a veteran with a dependent may be entitled to as much as $2,431 / month, and a surviving spouse with no dependents may be entitled to as much as $1,317 / month.
Does the VA take dementia patients?
Care for Veterans with Alzheimer's or dementia is provided throughout the full range of VA health care services.
Do veterans get free HealthCare for life?
You can get free VA health care for any illness or injury that we determine is related to your military service (called “service connected”). We also provide certain other services for free.
Are VA benefits better than Medicare?
VA coverage for prescriptions is typically less expensive than Medicare Part D drug plans, and you won't be hit with late penalties if you lose VA coverage in the future, provided that you sign up with a Part D plan within two months of that coverage ending.
Do I qualify for Medicaid in VA?
Who is eligible for Virginia Medicaid? To be eligible for Virginia Medicaid, you must be a resident of the state of Virginia, a U.S. national, citizen, permanent resident, or legal alien, in need of health care/insurance assistance, whose financial situation would be characterized as low income or very low income.
History of The Aid and Attendance and Housebound Improved Pension Benefit
Applying For Nursing Care Benefits
- Once a veteran reaches the age of 65, he or she is automatically classified as “totally disabled.” The requirements on the VA page do not clearly explain that all veterans earn this classification at the age of 65, so applicants incorrectly think they need an actual disability classification from the government. There are also some income qualifica...
Determining Income
- Income doesn’t include SSI, welfare benefits, or unreimbursed medical expenses. This can include Medicare and Medigap; long-term care costs including nursing home, assisted living facility and in-home care fees; some over-the-counter and prescription medications; and other care costs. These various expenses must occur monthly and aren’t paid for by insurance.
How Benefits Are Calculated
- After determining expenses and income, the VA then calculates how much you'll receive each month. The VA pays the difference between the veteran's income and the MAPR. Here’s an example: Gerald, 66, is a single veteran from the Army. He lives off of a dual income of $18,000 from Social Security and $10,500 from a pension. His total income is $28,500 annually. Gerald li…
A Word of Caution
- This unknown nature of this program had led to a unique opportunity for scams. The federal government forbids anyone to charge someone to help fill out any VA forms. Unfortunately, the forms can be very complicated. Plus, not many people are aware of the restrictions on charging for help. So many veterans end up paying for thousands of dollars for fraudulent consultations. …
Conclusion
- The Aid and Attendance and Housebound Improved Pension is perhaps the most important benefit yet also the one most misunderstood by the public. Available for any veteran age 65 or older with 90 days of previous military service, including at least one day of wartime service, the A&A provides a variety of options for long-term care. Nursing home care, assisted living care an…