How to access the new veterans’ benefits for assisted living in 2024?
Veterans can access a number of benefits through the VA including long-term care services or financial support to pay for help with daily activities.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs offers some programs to former members of United States Armed Services as they grow older that can ease the financial burden of medical and caregiving services they may need. These benefits include long-term care services like assisted living or financial support for those who need help with daily activities.
The VA also recently announced that veterans and survivors can apply anytime for the PACT Act benefits, which gives them access to low- or no-cost VA health care. The Pact Act greatly expanded and extended eligibility for VA health care and the VA is encouraging veterans to apply “even if you don’t think you need this care today.”
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How to access the new veterans’ benefits for assisted living in 2024?
Veterans who enroll in the VA health care program and meet certain requirements may be eligible to get assisted living, nursing home and home-care services through the VA. As part of its basic medical benefits package, the VA offers older veterans geriatric evaluation services.
With the information gathered, the VA will prepare a plan of care. Just like with basic medical benefits, you may still need to pay a copay for some services covered by the VA. For services that are not covered by VA healthcare, veterans can also use Medicare, Medicaid or private health insurance policies to pay for care.
VA long-term care services include:
- 24/7 nursing and medical care
- Physical therapy
- Help with daily tasks (like bathing, dressing, making meals, and taking medicine)
- Comfort care and help with managing pain
- Support for caregivers who may need skilled help or a break so they can work, travel, or run errands
These services are available through settings run by the VA and others inspected and approved by the VA which are run by state or community organizations. For further information, you can check the VA’s webpage for VA nursing homes, assisted living, and home health care.
You will also find official links on the website to apply for VA healthcare. You can also contact your VA social worker to find out how to access these services. Or call the VA’s toll-free hotline at 877-222-8387 Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET.
VA financial support for help with daily activities
Veterans may also be eligible for financial support to help offset the cost of receiving specific kinds of care needed to carry out daily activities or because they are housebound. The two VA enhanced pension benefits programs are Aid and Attendance (A&A) or Housebound benefits.
To qualify for A&A benefits, veterans must meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Need help with the activities of daily living like bathing, feeding and dressing, or due to daily hazards like risk of falling or getting burned when cooking
- Confined to their bed, or spend much of the day in bed, because of illness
- Patient in a nursing home because of the loss of physical or mental abilities due to a disability
- Eyesight is severely impaired, such as 5/200 or worse vision in both eyes even with glasses or contact lenses
Housebound benefits are available to veterans who obligated to spend most their time at home due to a permanent disability.
Applying for VA enhanced pension benefits for long-term care
You cannot access both programs at the same time. And in order to access these programs you must first establish eligibility for a VA pension. This is based on certain income and asset limits.
However, because the income requirement thresholds are higher for enhanced pension benefits, those who aren’t eligible for basic pension may be eligible for these enhanced pension benefits. The VA advises that you should never have to pay a fee to someone who helps you apply for VA pension benefits and that they should be accredited. The VA has a database where you can check whether the person you are considering working with is accredited.
The amount that a veteran can receive will depend on how many dependents they have along with other factors. The amounts are adjusted annually to account for inflation, which takes effect 1 December each year.
In 2024, the Aid & Attendance pension provides a single veteran with up to $2,300 per month, and a married veteran with a dependent child could get up to $2,963 each month. Housebound beneficiaries can receive up to $1,685 and $2,348 per month respectively according to the VA pension rates for veterans.