Paying for Care with VA Benefits in Arizona
Get the High Quality Care you need with Aid & Attendance
The Aid and Attendance Pension
The Aid and Attendance (A&A) Pension provides benefits for veterans or their surviving spouses. Applicants must require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing, or using the bathroom. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an assisting living facility also qualifies.
To qualify for Aid and Attendance it needs to be established by your physician that you require daily assistance by others to dress, undress, bathe, cook, eat, take on or off prosthetics, leave home etc. You DO NOT have to require assistance with all of these. There simply needs to be adequate medical evidence that you cannot function completely on your own.
VA Aid and Attendance Eligibility
Eligibility must be proven by filing the proper Veterans Application for Pension or Compensation. The application will require a copy of DD-214 (see below for more information) or separation papers, Medical Evaluation from a physician, current medical issues, net worth limitations, and net income, along with out-of-pocket Medical Expenses. Any War-Time Veteran with 90 days of active duty, 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War, is eligible to apply for the Aid & Attendance Improved Pension. A surviving spouse (marriage must have ended due to death of veteran) of a War-Time Veteran may also apply. The individual applying must qualify both medically and financially.
What is a DD-214 Form?
A DD-214 is issued to military members upon separation from active service. DD-214s were issued to separated service members beginning in the 1950′s. The term “DD-214″ is often used generically to mean “separation papers” or “discharge papers” no matter what form number was used to document active duty military service. If the VA has a copy of a DD-214, it is usually because the veteran attached a copy (or sometimes, the original) to his or her application for disability or education benefits. If you’ve lost your original DD-214 or a copy and you are receiving (or applied for in the past) disability or education benefits from the VA, they may have a copy (or the original, if you gave it to them) on file. At the very least, if you are currently receiving benefits (or did in the past), they should be able to provide a Statement of Service, which can be used instead of a DD-214. If you cannot find the DD-214, give us a call because we may be able to help.
Get a Consultation Regarding the VA Application Today
There is a lot of information that must be gathered when applying for the Aid & Attendance Improved Pension. We have compiled a list of the documents you will need so give us a call today and we can get you started. While it may seem like a daunting task, we recommend you call us first, in order to better understand the application process before you speak with the Veterans’ Affairs Office.
Applying to Aid and Attendance and Using it to Pay for Care
How is Aid and Attendance Disbursed?
The VA awards Aid and Attendance as a cash benefit. This means that either a check is mailed out or the money is direct deposited into the eligible veteran’s account. The amount awarded changes yearly. Also, depending on whether or not there are dependents, the cash amount can vary. Give us a call today and we can assess how much you or your loved one might be eligible for.
Can I use the ALTCS Benefit with Aid and Attendance?
Both benefits can be used simultaneously. This is advantageous to many ALTCS members who receive in-home care because they are able to maximize the amount of monthly take-home pay they can keep. ALTCS does not count Aid and Attendance as income so it will not disqualify an ALTCS recipient if their income plus Aid and Attendance benefit money totals more than the monthly income limit.
What type of Care will Aid and Attendance pay for?
Since Aid and Attendance is a cash benefit, it can be used to pay for any type of long-term care. A recipient can use the money to pay for a care home, assisted living, in-home care, skilled nursing, respite care, or anything else that falls under the long-term care designation. Also, the benefit can be used to help pay for medical needs that are related to a recipient’s long-term care needs. It is extremely versatile.
Are Non-Wartime Vets or National Guard Eligible?
Unfortunately if you or your loved one served during a period of non-war or solely with the national guard, you would be ineligible. However, there is a Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) that is available to help with long-term care costs. Please visit https://www.ltcfeds.com/program-details/eligibility for more details about the benefit as well as eligibility requirements.