VA Benefits - Another Way to Pay for Care

Veterans that are part of the Department of Veteran's Affairs health care program may be eligible for benefits for either home-based or institutional care. It is an often overlooked avenue to help pay for needed care.

It is far beyond the scope of this blog to go into detail as to how to go about applying for benefits. It is the intent of this post to make you aware that this option exists so you can research to determine if it is a viable option. If your aging parent is a Veteran and is part of the VA system some of the benefits may include: geriatric primary care, home based care, skilled home care, adult day care, VA Community Living Centers, and community based nursing homes.

There are stringent qualification requirements that must be met for both the home and institutional care benefits. Each case will be evaluated individually looking into the case from both a medical and financial perspective.

Each family must decide if they are able to handle the eligibility process on their own or if the better way to go is to hire an advocate to handle the process on their behalf. The important thing though is to take advantage of the benefits available and not be intimidated by the process.

A good place to start the research is on the VA website, www.va.gov/geriatrics/