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


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Veterans in priority categories 7 and 8 generally do have to pay copays, but there are some exceptions if the veteran meets VA's means test or the geographic means test.In some states VA's means test for maximum income is less than the geographic means test and in other states it is just the opposite.The most important thing to remember about copays is that a veteran receiving VA pension is classified a priority 5 veteran. Priority 5 veterans receive for free inpatient care, outpatient care, and long term care. They have no copayments for medical services. The priority 5 veteran must pay VA prescription drug copays unless that veteran has a household income below the current pension maximum income rate. Those pension incomes for 2007 are found in the second column of the table below. Also note that priority 5 veterans do not have to pay any more than $960 a year for their prescriptions from a VA pharmacy if they do have to pay for drugs.Veterans Means Test for Copays (Low Income Financial Test ) -- Financial Test Year 2007
Veteran with Free VA prescriptions and travel benefits (maximum allowable rate) Free VA Health Care
(0% service connected {noncompensable} and nonservice-connected veterans only) Medical Expenses Deduction (5% of maximum allowable pension rate from previous year)
0 dependents $10,929 or less $27,790 or less $529
1 dependent $14,313 or less $33,350 or less $693
2 dependents $16,179 or less $35,216 or less $783
3 dependents $18,045 or less $37,082 or less $873
4 dependents $19,911 or less $38,948 or less $964
For each additional dependent add: $1,866 $1,866 5% of Maximum Allowable Pension Rate
Medicare Deductible: $992 Income & Asset net worth: $80,000The GMT Income Threshold Test (geographic means test) could be higher or lower than VA's means test. To obtain GMT income thresholds per state for purposes of qualifying under an enrollment priority go to http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/pubs/GMTIncomeThresholds/