How to Apply for the Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit
Long Term Care Benefits for Veterans


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Nursing Home Daily RatesThe Veterans Administration pays the state veterans homes an annually adjusted rate per day for each veteran in the home. This is called the per diem. The current nursing per diem amount is $63.40 and for domiciliary care it is $29.31. Adult Day Health Care – up to one-half of the cost of care -- cannot exceed $38.43 per day. The goal of state veterans homes is to get Congress to increase the per diem rate for nursing care to 75% of the state private nursing rates. In most states the per diem falls well short of this goal.The per diem program and construction subsidies mean that state veterans homes can charge less money for their services than private facilities. Some states have a set rate, as an example $1,400 a month, and they may be relying on the pension benefit with aid and attendance plus the per diem to cover their actual costs. Other states may charge a percentage of the veteran’s income but be relying on other subsidies to cover the rest of the cost. Most of the states with low set rates or income determined rates are selective about the veterans they accept. These states may rely on a variety of private and public sources to help fund the cost of care.Example of Subsidy from the VA and the State.Actual per veteran cost of operation $6,000 a monthVeteran’s out-of-pocket cost $1,400 a month
Per diem to subsidize the veteran’s cost $1,928 a month
and possible state or other subsidies $1,000 a month
and possible VA aid and attendance benefit $1,520 a month
Available to pay for care from all sources $6,048 a monthLegislation is pending in Congress to allow private long term care beds in states to be designated as state veterans home beds and to receive the per diem on behalf of veterans. But it is limited to adding only a hundred beds nationwide over the next three years. This will hardly put a dent in anything.States without set rate subsidies may charge 50% to 70% of the rate of private facilities based on private or semi-private room occupancy. If the veteran does not have enough income, these homes accept Medicaid or Medicare to make up the difference. In these states the veterans homes are Medicaid and possibly Medicare certified.
Services availableSome state facilities offer assisted living or domiciliary care in addition to nursing care. Some states even build facilities devoted entirely for domiciliary. According to the Veterans Administration the definition of domiciliary care is as follows: "To provide the least intensive level of VA inpatient care for ambulatory veterans disabled by age or illness who are not in need