Aid & Attendance / Veterans Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a wide array of veterans health services and veterans health benefits.
Here in Northeast Ohio, you can find a full hospital at Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, as well as numerous outpatient clinics within 20 miles of every veteran in the region.
Veterans Health Services
Health services available to senior veterans through the VA include:
- audiology
- prescription drugs (free or discounted)
- unskilled home health
- home modifications to meet medical needs
- dental services
- adult day care
- vision services
Do you have questions about eligibility for these services?
Here are the basics:
Any veteran who wants to take advantage of veterans health benefits has to enroll in the VA system by completing a 10-10 EZ form (available online), and they have to be evaluated by a VA doctor yearly.
A veteran who meets an optional means test for income may be able to waive co-pays for service.
The VA divides veterans into different groups to determine priority for different types of veterans health benefits. Many seniors qualify for Group 4, or “catastrophically disabled,” designation, which qualifies them for VA services and benefits.
Other Veterans Health Benefits
Ohio Veterans homes offer another level of benefits for veterans who qualify.
The state of Ohio administers these homes, which are located in the cities of Sandusky and Wellington, providing excellent care to their residents. Available are domiciliary care (similar to independent living) and domiciliary plus (similar to assisted living), in addition to nursing home services.
Low-income veterans and their spouses or surviving spouses may be eligible for the Aid and Attendance benefit. This benefit provides financial aid that helps cover the costs of assisted living, in-home care, or a nursing home.
Eligible recipients must require help with the activities of daily living, or they just must be bedridden, legally blind, or in a nursing home, to qualify. Veterans who are confined to their homes may receive an increase in their monthly pension on top of the Aid and Attendance benefit.
We’re Here to Help
If you have questions about your veterans health benefits, or if you need a little help with the paperwork, give us a call at The Kabb Law Firm.
We specialize in veterans and elder law, and we’re happy to put our expertise at your disposal.
