Paying For Care with Veterans Benefits

You served our country honorably.  You deserve to receive the benefits the Veterans Administration has set aside exclusively for those veterans who are (i) over 65 years of age, and (ii) homebound, or in need of assisted/supportive living or a nursing home.

Veterans and their spouses may be eligible for special monthly pensions, if they can prove that their medical expenses are more than a certain level of income and assets.  For many veterans and their spouses who are just getting by on Social Security and withdrawing as little as possible from their retirement money, the significant monthly stipend from the VA can make a major difference in their quality of life.

Many veterans wonder just how much money they can receive if they qualify for the Aid and Attendance Pension Program. While every family situation is unique, an eligible veteran can receive over $23,000 a year for assistance with medical expenses and long-term care. An eligible veteran’s widowed spouse can potentially receive over $12,500 per year. Another important aspect of the Aid and Attendance benefit is that it can allow an eligible veteran or widowed spouse to pay anyone, including his or her child, for home care. It can also be used to pay for professional care in the home, assisted living, nursing home care, insurance premiums, prescription drugs, and co-pays.

The Aid and Attendance Pension Program can help an eligible veteran or widowed spouse live at home for as long as possible while still receiving the care he or she needs and protecting hard-earned assets. In addition, depending on your specific circumstances, our planning can help you double or triple the time you can afford to live in an assisted living facility, while at the same time preserving Medicaid eligibility if a future nursing home stay is needed.

The truth is that this is a tricky area of law.  To receive the Veterans Administration’s Aid and Attendance benefits, you have to meet certain income and asset restrictions.  Unlike Medicaid, asset transfers do not count against you in assessing whether you meet the requirements.

However, most seniors requiring assisted living benefits will require a nursing home stay in the future.  The asset transfer that was permissible for the VA Aid and Attendance benefits will now count against you when assessing your eligibility for Medicaid benefits.

You deserve to have someone who focuses on these issues every day to assist you in evaluating your situation and helping you maximize your assets and income for the longest period of time.

Unfortunately, too many veterans believe that government benefits are only available if they were wounded in combat or if their disability is related to their service.  That’s simply not true.

You have honorably served our country. Your country recognizes that.