Can U.S. military veterans use their Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to help pay for long-term care?
The short answer is yes, but as with most government programs, it’s complicated.
Here, we unpack the various programs that can help older veterans pay for long-term care and how to find the right mix of benefits for you.
How Veterans Can Pay for Long-term Care
According to the Administration for Community Living, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the VA covers long-term care for veterans with service-related disabilities and for certain other eligible veterans. It also pays for other health programs, such as nursing home and at-home care for aging veterans who need long-term care.
“If you qualify and are eligible, a certain amount of (long-term care) will be covered by the Veterans Health Administration,” confirms John Mastronardi, executive director of The Nathaniel Witherell, a short-term rehab and skilled nursing care center in Greenwich, Connecticut.
[READ Long-Term Care Facilities: Types and Costs]
VA Programs that Cover Long-term Care
There are several programs that provide funding to veterans that may be used to help cover the cost of long-term care.
Veterans pension and survivor pension
Low-income wartime veterans may qualify for a VA pension, which provides monthly payments to help cover living expenses, including long-term care, says Stacey Eisenberg, a senior care expert and owner of A Place At Home — North Austin home care agency in Round Rock, Texas.
Veterans who meet the eligibility requirements qualify for a pension after leaving military service. Surviving spouses may also be awarded a pension.
In 2025, a veteran without a spouse or dependent child can receive up to $16,965 per year while a veteran with a spouse or dependent child or two veterans married to each other can receive up to $22,216 per year.
Not everyone who was in the military qualifies for a veteran’s pension. Those who were discharged dishonorably are ineligible. Those whose term of service was too short might also not qualify.
Older veterans must have served a minimum of 90 days of active service (full-time duty) with a minimum of one day served during a time of war to be eligible. If you became active duty after September 7, 1980, you must have served at least 24 months of active duty or finished an entire tour of duty. Check with your local VA office to understand whether your term of service qualifies you for benefits.
You must also meet certain income requirements to qualify for a pension. Your countable income must be under the threshold for the Maximum Annual Pension Rate. This rate is generally the maximum annual VA pension benefit amount you could potentially receive.
The math can get tricky, as you may be able to take some deductions for unreimbursed medical expenses, so talk with your VA rep or a benefits advisor for more tailored advice.
[READ: 7 Signs It’s Time to Move to a Senior Living Facility]
Aid and Attendance
Many veterans also qualify for additional benefits on top of their pension that can be used to cover the cost of long-term care. Veterans Aid and Attendance is the primary long-term care-specific program for veterans and their surviving spouses.
This benefit is in addition to the VA pension paid to low-income veterans who need assistance with at least two activities of daily living. These funds can be used at the veteran’s discretion, Eisenberg says, so while technically, the VA does not pay for room and board, if you’re receiving these funds, you can use this money to cover those costs.
To qualify for Aid and Attendance payments, you must be eligible for a pension. The benefit can be used to pay for in-home care or care at a senior living facility.
In 2025, the maximum Aid and Attendance benefits amounts are as follows:
— Up to $28,300 per year for a veteran without a spouse or dependent child
— Up to $33,548 per year for a veteran with a spouse or dependent child
— Up to $44,886 per year for two veterans married to each other who both qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits
— Up to $18,187 per year for a surviving spouse without a dependent child
— Up to $21,696 per year for a surviving spouse with a dependent child
[READ: When Is It Time to Move From Independent to Assisted Living?]
Housebound allowance
The Housebound allowance is a separate benefit that’s designed to support veterans who are largely confined to their home because of a permanent disability.
If you’re receiving Aid and Attendance, you can’t get the Housebound allowance and vice versa. But in the case of two veterans married to each other, one spouse might qualify for Aid and Attendance while the other receives Housebound benefits, which can alter the amount you receive.
For 2025, the maximum rates for Housebound benefits are:
— Up to $20,732 per year for a veteran with no spouse or dependent child
— Up to $25,982 per year for a veteran with a spouse or dependent child
— Up to $29,747 per year for two veterans married to each other who both qualify for Housebound benefits
— Up to $13,908 per year for a surviving spouse with no dependent child
— Up to $17,414 per year for a surviving spouse with a dependent child
Veterans Directed Care
Also known as Veterans Directed Home and Community-Based Services (VD-HCBS), Veterans Directed Care offers veterans a flexible budget to pay for services that help them live independently in their own homes or communities, which could help them delay or avoid needing to move into a long-term care facility.
“Veterans can hire family members, friends or an agency as caregivers and purchase goods and services that help them remain at home,” Eisenberg says.
VA disability compensation
VA disability compensation is a monthly, tax-free payment made to veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and those whose service made an existing condition worse. Chronic illness, injury and mental health conditions such as PTSD that developed before, during or after service may all qualify depending on the situation.
The amount of benefit you’ll receive under this program depends on your disability rating for lower disability levels. Once you get beyond a 30% disability rating, dependent status factors in as well. Your amount may also vary depending on whether you are a single veteran or have a spouse or dependent children. Additional dependents can increase the monthly amount you receive.
— 10% = $175.51
— 20% = $346.95
— 30% = $537.24 to $703.42
— 40% = $774.16 to $995.16
— 50% = $1,102.04 to $1,378.04
— 60% = $1,395.93 to $1,727.93
— 70% = $1,858.19 to $2,258.19
— 80% = $2,158.89 to $2,614.89
— 90% = $2,425.96 to $2,938.96
— 100% = $3,974.15 to $4,544.23
VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
The VA DIC program is designed to support the surviving spouse, child or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty or the survivor of a veteran who died because of a service-related illness or injury. To qualify for this tax-free benefit, you’ll have to provide evidence for the claim and meet other criteria. The deceased veteran must also have met certain criteria before their death.
Monthly rates depend on the situation. If you’re the surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran, the base monthly payment rate, as of December 1, 2024, is $1,653.07. You may also qualify for additional funds depending on disability rating and dependent status.
VA health care
Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system may qualify to receive various services — such as medical care, mental health services and social work support — that support aging in place or moving to a long-term care facility.
VA Community Living Centers
Under its Geriatric and Extended Care Services program, which offers a variety of services from homemaker and home health aide services to adult day health care, the VA also operates Community Living Centers. Also known as VA nursing homes, these facilities are operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and provide nursing home-level care to qualified veterans. Veterans can receive short-term care there or in some cases may reside there long-term. There are more than 100 Community Living Centers across the U.S.
VA State Home Per Diem Program
The VA State Home Per Diem Program also falls under the Geriatrics and Extended Care Services program. This program provides a daily rate to cover the cost of care for eligible veterans receiving care in a State Veteran Home, which is similar to a Community Living Center but is operated by the state where the home is located. These payments are made to the home on behalf of eligible residents residing there.
What the VA Pays For
The VA provides payments for many long-term care services:
— 24/7 nursing and medical care
— Help with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, preparing meals and taking medicine
— Comfort care and pain management help
— Support for caregivers who may need skilled help or a break so they can work, travel or run errands
Veterans can access this care in several different locations. Some are run by the VA, while others are VA-approved state or community organizations such as:
— Nursing homes
— Private homes where a caregiver supports a small group of individuals
— Adult day health centers
— Veterans’ own homes
Who Qualifies for VA Benefits for Assisted Living
To access benefits, veterans must meet all of the VA long-term care eligibility requirements below:
— The veteran has signed up for VA health care.
— The VA confirms that the veteran needs a specific service for ongoing treatment and personal care.
— The service or space in the care setting is available nearby.
Other factors, such as service-connected disability status or insurance coverage, may also be considered for access to services.
The VA covers some of these services under its standard health benefits within the overall VA health care program. A copay may be required for some covered services.
Other services aren’t covered under VA health care benefits, but they may be covered through Medicaid, Medicare or a private insurance policy.
Eligibility for VA Long-Term Care
Eligibility for long-term care services, provided in any long-term care setting, are based on the veteran’s need for ongoing treatment, personal care and assistance, and the availability of the service locally. Financial status, service-connected (VA disability) status, insurance coverage and/or the ability to pay may also play a role in determining eligibility and benefit amount.
Once the veteran is enrolled in VA health care, the VA will review the veteran’s service-connected disability status and income to determine if a copay for VA health care services and VA long-term care services will apply.
Talk to your local VA rep to get started applying for benefits for long-term care. They can help you find additional resources and support to make navigating the complex and sometimes confusing range of options easier to understand.
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VA Long-Term Care Benefits: A Complete Guide originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/24/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.