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Veterans Benefits
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Posted on 4/18/2009
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Veterans Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are there benefits available from the Veterans’ Administration for Veterans with non service related disabilities to help pay for their care?
A: There is a pension available for some veterans. This pension is available to wartime veterans and their surviving spouses for non-service related disabilities who face substantial medical and care expenses. A veteran who is confined to their home, needs assisted living or skilled care facility may qualify for these benefits.
Secretary Nicholson of the Department of Veterans Affairs recently reported that the VA is reaching out to veterans and their spouses to alert them to an under used benefit called Aid and Attendance (A & A). Thousands of eligible veterans may not be receiving the VA disability benefits they are entitled to.
Most importantly, this money can be available for not only skilled nursing home care but also to help pay for home care and assisted living. Since Medicaid in Pennsylvania only pays for skilled nursing care, the VA benefit can help families pay for the care they need outside of skilled care.
To qualify for the benefit, a veteran or spouse has to need the aid and attendance of another person and be in financial need. This means the disabled person must need help preparing meals, bathing, dressing or otherwise needs help to avoid the hazards of daily living.
It is very important to do a pre filing analysis to see if you quality for this benefit. It may appear to most people that if you have over $1,800.00 of income, you do not qualify for this benefit. However, you can subtract unreimbursed medical expenses from the income. Deductable expenses can be paying for assisted living or for a caregiver to reduce the income.
To qualify for this benefit the veteran or spouse of a veteran must meet certain service, income and asset qualifications. First the veteran had to have served at least 90 days of active duty, be 65 or older or totally disabled, served at least one (1) day of active duty during wartime (generally WWII 12/7/1941 to 12/31/1946; Korea 6/27/1950 to 1/31/1955 or Vietnam 8/05/1964 to 5/07/1975). Be discharged better than dishonorably. Have net monthly income of less than $1,800.00 per month after out-of-pocket medical expenses. The veteran’s countable net worth must be less than approximately $50,000.00 for singles and $80,000.00 for married couples.
The qualifications and applications process can be difficult and time consuming. Some veteran’s service organizations can be very helpful in obtaining these benefits.
An applicant should also consider using a competent elder law attorney to make sure this benefit is coordinated with other benefits and the balance of their estate plans. In some cases, what you can do to qualify for the Veterans Benefits may preclude you from qualifying for Medicaid in the future. Therefore, it is important to make sure the qualifications for VA benefits does not preclude your ability to qualify for Medicaid in the future.
Since even assisted living costs anywhere from $1,800.00 to $4,000.00 per month, and skilled care cost $6,000.00 to $8,000.00 per month, the availability of a benefit that can pay up to $1,842.00 per month can make a difference in a family’s finances.
Elder Law Offices of Shields and Boris
109 VIP Drive
Suite 102
Wexford, PA 15090
Phone: (724) 934-5044
Toll Free: (800) 879-0984
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