We are extremely thankful for all the sacrifices that our servicemen and women make to protect our freedoms. As such, we want to ensure that they take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones from the devastating impact of a long term care event. Our office is located right next door to one of the VA’s Adult Day Care facilities. We see family members dropping off and picking up their loved ones all day long. We know that they are grateful for that little bit of help, but we also know that most people prefer to receive care in their own homes if given the option.
One of the popular misconceptions that people have is that if they are a Veteran, the government will automatically provide for their long term care. There are very limited long term care benefits, and to be eligible for those you must meet certain criteria. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs website states,
“Your eligibility for long term care services, provided in any long term care setting, will be determined based on your need for ongoing treatment, personal care, and assistance, as well as the availability of the service in your location. Other factors, such as financial eligibility, your service-connected (VA disability) status, insurance coverage, and/or ability to pay may also apply.”
The Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension benefit program was implemented in order to provide supplemental income to U.S. military veterans and widowed spouses of veterans in times of need. However, the pension benefits are needs-based, and in order to receive the pension benefits, the “countable” family income must be below the yearly limit set by Congress. Although the VA looks closely at the assets of each applicant, there is no predetermined maximum worth for applicants. Nevertheless, an applicant having more than $80,000 in liquid assets, in cash savings, stock, or a 401(k), will usually be denied.
Veterans who meet one of the following criteria are eligible for VA Pension:
- Age 65 or older with little or no income
- Totally and permanently disabled
- A patient in a nursing home
- Receives Social Security Disability insurance
- Receives supplemental Security Income
In addition, the most crucial requirement for the VA pension is that the veteran served at least 90 days of active duty, and one of those days must have been during active wartime. This does not mean that the veteran had to have been in actual combat. Also, in order to receive the pension benefits, the veteran must have served at least 24 months or the full period that the veteran was called to duty, IF the active duty occurred after September 7, 1980.
The following dates are VA dates of wartime:
- World War II: 12/7/1941 through 12/31/1946
- Korean Conflict: 6/27/1950 through 1/31/1955
- Vietnam War: 8/5/1964 through 5/7/1975, although those who served in Vietnam itself (“in country”) as early as 2/28/1961 may also qualify
- Gulf War: 8/2/1990 to date to be determined by U.S. government
- The Iraq War and Afghanistan War have not been officially declared wartime periods by the U.S. Congress, but according to our research totally disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan may qualify.
Veterans qualified for the VA Pension may also qualify for Aid and Attendance if the following criteria are met:
- Requires assistance for activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing
- Is bedridden
- Is in a nursing home as a result of a mental incapacity, such as Alzheimer’s disease
- Eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity, or less, in both eyes, or there is concentric contraction of the visual field to five degrees or less
The veteran may also be eligible for housebound benefits if they are confined to their immediate premises because of permanent disability and only leave to attend doctor appointments or other medical treatments or cannot leave without assistance from another person. However, one cannot qualify for both Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits at the same time.
What should a veteran do? If you are a veteran or spouse of a veteran and you are doing financial planning for any future long term care, please contact us today to discuss whether private long term care insurance might be a better solution for you. Call us at 800-625-9267 to explore your options.
