As we age, taking care of our personal needs can get more challenging. We face more medical conditions and physical limitations. At some point, we may need to depend on family, friends or caregivers to help take care of us.
This is something many people fear. People have a fear of being a burden to those they love.
For many Veterans I have worked with, this is most certainly true.
Veterans, once individuals who valiantly served in America’s armed forces and were providers for their families, are now requiring help. They are having to depend on others.
Families and loved ones of Veterans who are experiencing a loss of independence may struggle with caring for their needs. As care needs increase, stress rises and families and Veterans look for options.
Sometimes the next option is looking into Long Term Care facilities.
Keep reading to learn about what the VA system has to offer Veterans in terms of long term care and nursing homes. I’ll also go over Veterans eligibility for nursing care, the VA benefits for Long Term Care and if the VA pays for Nursing Home Care.
Long Term Care Options
There are 3 options for long term care that serve Veterans.
- VA Contract Nursing Homes
- State Veteran Homes
- Non-VA Nursing Homes in the Community
VA Contract Nursing Homes
There are nursing homes in the community that the VA contracts with in order to provide long term care placement for Veterans who are eligible.
These nursing homes are not Veteran-ONLY nursing homes, rather they are nursing homes anyone can go to in your community. The difference is the contract with the VA. The VA will pay for the nursing home placement for eligible Veterans.
In order for the VA to pay for nursing home care, the facility must be contracted with the VA. The Veteran must also meet eligibility requirements.
VA Contract Nursing Home Eligibility
In order to be eligible to be placed in a VA contracted nursing home, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have at least a 70% or more service-connected rating.
- If you are not sure what a service-connected rating is, please check out the post “How Veterans Can Apply for Tax-Free VA Disability Compensation” for details.
OR
- You have a 60% service-connected rating AND you have a permanent disability and are deemed unemployable by the VA You must require assistance with at least 2 of your activities of daily living (ie, bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility, transfers, eating, meal preparation etc)
- If you meet these requirements, you may be eligible for the VA to pay for your nursing home care in a VA contracted facility.
If you don’t meet the above criteria, you can still have the VA pay for nursing home placement if you require Hospice care.
If a Veteran needs a nursing home and is on Hospice, the VA can approve a 6 month Hospice Contract with a VA contracted Nursing home. This of course has to be approved by the VA and you will need to talk to the VA’s Hospice coordinator.
For a list of VA Contracted Nursing Homes in your area, contact your local VA and ask to speak with a social worker for this list.
How Much does the VA pay for Nursing Home Care?
Typically, if you are at least 70% Service Connected you will not have any co-pays or out of pocket expenses for your nursing home care. The VA will pay the FULL amount of your nursing home care.
Unlike Medicaid, where you have to give your full income amount to the nursing home while Medicaid pays for the difference, the VA does not require you to pay anything.
So you can continue to collect your VA monthly compensation while the VA pays for your nursing home care in full.
This can be beneficial for spouses or other family members who rely on your income to survive.
If you meet the criteria of being 60% service-connected and you have a permanent disability and deemed unemployable, you may have a co-pay.
You co-pay will likely be small. Ranging from $5 to $97 per month. Your co-pay amount for nursing home placement is dependent on your priority group.
You can find more information about the priority group at: https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/priority-groups/
If you feel that you cannot afford the co-pay, you can complete the VA Extended Care form called 10-10 EC. You can also request for Hardship Determination using the VA Form 10-10 HS.
What If You Don’t Meet the VA Eligibility Requirements for Nursing Home Care?
If you are less than 60% service-connected but are needing nursing home level of care, you have 3 options.
- You can apply for the Aid and Assistance Program — This is a program that provides the applying Veteran a financial stipend to help pay for care at home or at a facility. You can get up to around $1,500 a month. Some people use this towards in-home care, assisted living care or nursing home care.
- You can apply for Medicaid if you are low-income. Check out the post on The Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid for eligibility information to apply for Medicaid.
- And you can request for compensation increase of your current service-connection. Check out the VA disability chart to help determine which VA disability claim you need to file.
State Veteran Homes
One of the most common misconceptions about State Veterans Homes is the belief that they are part of the VA system.
This is incorrect. They are not run by the VA at all. Instead they are run by each individual State. This means that each State has their own set of eligibility requirements.
There are certain States that may allow non-Veteran spouses or gold star parents to admit to the State Veteran Nursing Home. It all depends on the State’s requirements.
Check out the National Association of State Veterans Homes for a director of State Homes.
Typically your service-connected rating does not always determine your eligibility for admission to a State Veterans Nursing Home. So again, make sure to check out each state’s requirements.
The VA doesn’t pay for this nursing home, so it is not the same as a VA contracted nursing home.
Non-VA Nursing Homes in the Community
Another option to consider for nursing home placement for Veterans is any non-VA contracted nursing home. There are likely several nursing homes in your community that you could go to.
Often it depends on your ability to pay for nursing home level of care. If you have a Long Term Care policy, you can use this to help pay for nursing home level of care.
If you can’t afford this care out of pocket from savings, you may need to consider applying for Medicaid.
If you are looking into nursing homes for placing a Veteran or any loved one, make sure you check out these posts for helpful tips:
Are Skilled Nursing Facilities the Same as Nursing Homes?
Top 15 Questions to Ask a Skilled Nursing Facility
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