In 2007, NBC News aired a special about VA Aid & Attendance benefits in series about Trading Places: Caring For Your Parents. Here is the video embedded if you want to watch it. (It’s just under 3 minutes.)
The video is 5 years old and mainstream awareness of his benefit has not advanced much at all. When I speak to older adults about getting wartime veterans help with paying for long-term care, prescriptions, and other unreimbursed medical expenses, it’s often the first time that the attendees have heard about this wonderful opportunity.
According to 2010 US Census numbers, there are 4.7 million wartime veterans from Korea and World War II, which cover the periods of conflict most likely to have veterans who are 65 years old or older. As I said, most of them have no idea that their service has made them eligible for this assistance.
Vietnam veterans, who will start to turn 65 in 10 years or so, currently number 7.6 million. Those veterans will need care too, and they are likely not to know any more about it than the folks do today.
As the population continues to grow, education will remain an important part of making sure that veterans receive the benefits they deserve, and have earned.
Posted by Victor J. Medina
Medina Law Group, LLC & The New Jersey Estate Planning Center