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An Overview of VA Pension and Health Care Benefits

Sun, 05/19/2002 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

A source of benefits that is often overlooked are benefits available to veterans and their surviving spouses. These benefits include pensions, payments for nursing home or home care, prescription drugs, reimbursement for the cost of adapting a home or car for a disability, and more.

If you are a veteran, or the surviving spouse of a veteran, you may be unaware that these types of benefits are available. However, figuring out what benefits you might be eligible for is best done by contacting the Veterans Benefits Administration because there are a confusing array of benefits which vary depending on income, time of service, whether or not the veteran has a service-related disability, and the type of disability they have. A sampling of benefits you might be eligible for include:

Veterans Pensions

A VA "Pension" is available to certain low-income veterans and a "Death Pension" is available to their widows/widowers. Unlike traditional pensions, these pensions are not automatic, but are "needs-based", or only available to those with incomes below certain levels. However, and this is extremely important, income included in the calculation is reduced by "unreimbursed medical expenses" in excess of 5% of the basic pension amount. This means that a veteran or surviving spouse with significant out-of-pocket medical expenses may qualify for a pension, even if they have a much higher income than the program limits. It also means that someone who discovered at one time that they were ineligible for a Veterans or Death Pension may want to re-apply if they start to incur a lot of medical expenses.

Any veteran or surviving spouse who pays a Medicare Part B premium will probably have medical expenses in excess of the 5% limit. Other unreimbursed medical expenses that reduce countable income include prescription drugs, home health care expenses, or nursing home expenses, to the extent those expenses have been paid for by the beneficiary. A surviving spouse may apply for and receive VA benefits from the VA even if his or her spouse did not receive veteran's benefits during the veteran's lifetime.

Medical Care Benefits

Veterans benefits include hospital and physician care, generally when provided in a VA facility. Outpatient prescription drugs are covered for free to low income veterans or those with service-related disabilities, and with a $7 co-payment in other cases. Unlike many other drug benefits programs, the VA program also covers some over-the-counter medications.

Long Term Care Benefits

Some veterans, or their surviving spouses, who need help at home may be eligible for extra payments through the "Aid and Assistance" and "Housebound Veterans" programs. Other VA Benefits programs provide reimbursement for physical modifications made to a home or car to adapt them to the physical disabilities of the beneficiary. Nursing home care may be covered in certain circumstances, generally for service-related disabilities. Veterans who are dying may also be able to receive accelerated benefits from their Veterans life insurance plans to help pay for the cost of care.

Burial Benefits

Veterans benefits include a variety of payments/programs for burial, plot, internment, cremation, flags, representation at a funeral, transportation and headstone costs.

War Time Periods

Certain benefits are limited to veterans who served during "war time", but for the most part this just means they need to have served during specified time periods, even if they spent the time behind a desk on the home front. It is estimated that 90%+ of elderly veterans have wartime service. These periods of time include:

  • Mexican Border Period: May 9,1916 through April 5,1917 (Limited to veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters.)
  • World War I: April 6,1917 through Nov.11,1918 (For veterans who served in Russia from April 6,1917 through April 1,1920, the end of the period is extended through July 1,1921.)
  • World War II: Dec.7,1941 through Dec.31,1946.
  • Korean War: June 27,1950 through Jan.31,1955.
  • Vietnam War: Aug.5,1964 through May 7,1975 (Starts on Feb.28,1961, for veterans who served ?in country ? before Aug.5,1964).
  • Gulf War: Aug.2,1990 through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

Applying for Benefits

As mentioned earlier, figuring out what benefits you might be eligible for is best done by contacting the Veterans Benefits Administration. You can apply for benefits online, using the link below, or call 1-800-827-1000 for more information about VA benefits.

A source of benefits that is often overlooked are benefits available to veterans and their surviving spouses. These benefits include pensions, payments for nursing home or home care, prescription drugs, reimbursement for the cost of adapting a home or car for a disability, and more.

If you are a veteran, or the surviving spouse of a veteran, you may be unaware that these types of benefits are available. However, figuring out what benefits you might be eligible for is best done by contacting the Veterans Benefits Administration because there are a confusing array of benefits which vary depending on income, time of service, whether or not the veteran has a service-related disability, and the type of disability they have. A sampling of benefits you might be eligible for include:

Veterans Pensions

A VA "Pension" is available to certain low-income veterans and a "Death Pension" is available to their widows/widowers. Unlike traditional pensions, these pensions are not automatic, but are "needs-based", or only available to those with incomes below certain levels. However, and this is extremely important, income included in the calculation is reduced by "unreimbursed medical expenses" in excess of 5% of the basic pension amount. This means that a veteran or surviving spouse with significant out-of-pocket medical expenses may qualify for a pension, even if they have a much higher income than the program limits. It also means that someone who discovered at one time that they were ineligible for a Veterans or Death Pension may want to re-apply if they start to incur a lot of medical expenses.

Any veteran or surviving spouse who pays a Medicare Part B premium will probably have medical expenses in excess of the 5% limit. Other unreimbursed medical expenses that reduce countable income include prescription drugs, home health care expenses, or nursing home expenses, to the extent those expenses have been paid for by the beneficiary. A surviving spouse may apply for and receive VA benefits from the VA even if his or her spouse did not receive veteran's benefits during the veteran's lifetime.

Medical Care Benefits

Veterans benefits include hospital and physician care, generally when provided in a VA facility. Outpatient prescription drugs are covered for free to low income veterans or those with service-related disabilities, and with a $7 co-payment in other cases. Unlike many other drug benefits programs, the VA program also covers some over-the-counter medications.

Long Term Care Benefits

Some veterans, or their surviving spouses, who need help at home may be eligible for extra payments through the "Aid and Assistance" and "Housebound Veterans" programs. Other VA Benefits programs provide reimbursement for physical modifications made to a home or car to adapt them to the physical disabilities of the beneficiary. Nursing home care may be covered in certain circumstances, generally for service-related disabilities. Veterans who are dying may also be able to receive accelerated benefits from their Veterans life insurance plans to help pay for the cost of care.

Burial Benefits

Veterans benefits include a variety of payments/programs for burial, plot, internment, cremation, flags, representation at a funeral, transportation and headstone costs.

War Time Periods

Certain benefits are limited to veterans who served during "war time", but for the most part this just means they need to have served during specified time periods, even if they spent the time behind a desk on the home front. It is estimated that 90%+ of elderly veterans have wartime service. These periods of time include:

  • Mexican Border Period: May 9,1916 through April 5,1917 (Limited to veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters.)
  • World War I: April 6,1917 through Nov.11,1918 (For veterans who served in Russia from April 6,1917 through April 1,1920, the end of the period is extended through July 1,1921.)
  • World War II: Dec.7,1941 through Dec.31,1946.
  • Korean War: June 27,1950 through Jan.31,1955.
  • Vietnam War: Aug.5,1964 through May 7,1975 (Starts on Feb.28,1961, for veterans who served ?in country ? before Aug.5,1964).
  • Gulf War: Aug.2,1990 through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

Applying for Benefits

As mentioned earlier, figuring out what benefits you might be eligible for is best done by contacting the Veterans Benefits Administration. You can apply for benefits online, using the link below, or call 1-800-827-1000 for more information about VA benefits.