By Attorney Dan Vu
On receiving my certificate to practice before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, I was reminded of the one thing I enjoyed most about my job. That would be informing Veterans about the VA benefit of Aid and Attendance. This is a program managed by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs that helps Veterans pay for healthcare services. This includes assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or home health care services from a third party or even a relative. This is an excellent program that assists Veterans with their large health care bills. The benefit will also help a Veteran stay at home longer, something a majority of clients would like.
The only major flaw to the program is that few Veterans’ know about the program. So when I meet a Veteran who has served his country in the most perilous of times, and I get to explain a way for them to receive help on their extraordinary monthly medical costs, it always puts a smile to my face and to theirs. The VA benefit may not cover all of their costs, but with a maximum benefit of $1,949 a month for a married Veteran, this benefit can lift a large burden off the Veteran and the Veteran’s family. Moreover, I get to surprise many more when I explain to them that the surviving spouse of a Veteran could also qualify for up to a maximum benefit of $1050 a month.
As with almost any benefit, there are qualification requirements. For VA Aid & Attendance, a Veteran must meet three requirements. The first is that the Veteran served during wartime. The second is a health requirement: the Veteran or surviving spouse must need the aid & attendance of another. The third is an asset and income requirement: the Veteran or surviving spouse must prove that they cannot sustain the current cost of care for their lifetime. This third requirement is easier said then done. A complex array of rules applies to the determination of who qualifies under this requirement. This is something I help Veterans with as well.
So perhaps the only thing better than explaining the benefit to unaware Veterans, is helping them wade through this process of qualifying them for the benefit. For more information, contact our office for a free CD or schedule to meet with an Attorney, like myself, certified to practice before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
