THE VETERANS' PRESS: Do VA benefits cover nursing home care?

VA benefits provide for a range of long-term services which include, Nursing Home Care, Domiciliary Care, Adult Day Health Care, Geriatric Evaluation and Respite Care.

Nursing home benefits may be provided if specific qualifications are met; those are: a veteran must be in need of such care and seeking nursing home care for a service-connected (SC) disability, OR is rated 60% SC and unemployable, OR is rated 60% SC and permanently and totally disabled (P&T) OR for any condition if the veteran has a combined SC disability rating of 70% or more. The care will be provided in a VA nursing home or contract nursing home.

NSC and non-compensable zero percent SC veterans can apply for long term care in the VA but could be subject to long term care co-payments. Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability are exempt from long-term care co-payments. NSC veterans applying for Extended Care or the Nursing Home Care Unit may be required to complete VA Form 10-10EC to determine the family's current income and assets.

Veterans may be discharged from a VA Nursing Home Care Unit (NHCU) without consent when VA nursing home care is no longer needed; for example, if the veteran's needs can be met at home or in a private nursing home close to the family.

Veterans requiring nursing home care for a service-connected condition or a veteran rated 70% or more have mandatory eligibility for admission to Extended Care Services; and, those veterans are eligible to have indefinite care provided to them in the VA or in a VA contracted nursing home.

Sound like someone you know? See the “North Idaho Resource Directory” section.