Does the VA Cover Nursing Home Costs? Here’s What You Should Know Before You Apply!

When looking for long-term care choices, veterans and their families frequently ask, “Does the VA Pay for Nursing Home Care?”

Knowing what the VA covers—and what it doesn’t—will help you make future plans, whether you’re thinking about a State Veterans Home or a VA Community Living Center.

Your financial concerns regarding VA nursing home care will be addressed in this essay.

Does VA Cover Care in Nursing Homes?

Yes, nursing home care is covered by the VA; however, your eligibility is based on a number of variables, such as your medical needs, income, VA disability rating, and service history.

Requirements for nursing home care that is covered:

You were just released from a VA hospital (be sure your doctor says you require care), OR

• You have a service-connected disability with a VA disability rating of at least 70%, OR
• Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is the basis for your Total Disability assessment.
• Remember that you may have to pay a copay for nursing home care in some circumstances.

How to Enter a Nursing Home for Veterans

If you fulfill all of these qualifications, you can be admitted to a veterans’ nursing home:

• You have enrolled in VA health insurance, and
• The VA determines that you require a particular service to assist with your personal care and continued treatment, and
• There is a service (or room in the care setting) close to you.
• Other variables, such as insurance coverage or service-connected disability status, may also be taken into account by the VA.
• Contact your VA social worker or give the VA’s toll-free hotline a call at 877-222-8387, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, to learn more about how to obtain these services.

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VA Nursing Home Types

Center for Community Living (CLC)

Veterans may spend a brief period of time or, in rare cases, their whole lives in a communal living facility.

Veterans can receive nursing home-level care at a CLC, which includes medical attention, professional nursing, and assistance with everyday living activities.

Nursing Homes in the Community

Veterans can live full-time in a community nursing home and get professional nursing care day or night.

Many cities provide the Community Nursing Home program so that you can get care close to your family and home.

Veterans’ State Homes

State governments own, run, and oversee State Veterans facilities, which offer adult day care and nursing facilities.

They were established by several states to house homeless and disabled Veterans in the years following the Civil War.

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Long-Term Care Insurance for Veterans

Long-term care Insurance can assist with the expense of care, but most plans only cover treatments for a certain number of years before you are responsible for paying for them.

Also, a lot of plans include an elimination period of 30, 60, or 90 days, during which you have to cover medical expenses before you start receiving benefits.

Age and enrollment health determine premiums. You probably won’t be eligible for a new coverage if you currently reside in a care facility or require assistance with everyday tasks.