Boston Medicaid Planning Lawyer and Elder Law Attorney Assists Massachusetts Veterans with Long-term care Financing

Many eligible Massachusetts veterans and their spouses are unaware of the benefits available to them to assist with long-term care expenses at home, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.

Medical Expenses to Reduce Income

Pension benefits are payable to eligible veterans to ensure that their income does not fall below certain minimums. When a veteran has medical expenses not covered by other insurance, the expenses can be used to reduce a veteran’s countable income. This could then result in a higher pension benefit in order to meet the minimum income.

The following examples are of expenses that can be used to reduce countable income:

• Insurance premiums
• Home health aid expenses
• Adult day care
• Assisted living costs
• Nursing home facility costs

Veteran Eligibility for Pension Benefits

Veterans and their spouses who are permanently and totally disabled, or who are also 65 or older, may be eligible for monetary support if they have 90 days or more of active military service, at least one day of which was during a period of the following wars:

World War I
April 6, 1917, through November 11, 1918
*For those veterans who served in the Soviet Union during this time, the service date is extended to April 1, 1920

World War II
December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1946

Korean War
“June 27, 1950 through January 31, 1955

Vietnam War
Aug 5, 1964 through May 7, 1975
*For those veterans who served “in country” before Aug 5, 1964, the service date is February 28, 1961

Gulf War
August 2, 1990 [Through-date: To be determined]

Those disabled Veterans eligible for the Aid and Attendance benefit include veterans with the inability to feed oneself, to dress and undress without assistance, or to take care of one’s own bodily needs. People who are bedridden or need help adjusting to special prosthetic or orthopedic devices may also be eligible, as well as those who have a physical or mental injury or illness that requires regular assistance to protect them from hazards or dangers in their daily environment.

Amount of Veteran Pension Benefits

Veteran, Surviving Spouse, Married Couple

A veteran is eligible for up to $1,788 per month, while a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1,149 per month and married couple is eligible for up to $2,120 per month. Congress adjusts these figures annually, and they are therefore subject to change.

For December 2019 to November 2020, here’s how Veteran Pension Benefits break down on an annual and monthly basis:

Single Veteran without Dependent Children

$22,938 ANNUAL PENSION BENEFIT
$1,912 MONTHLY PENSION BENEFIT

Married Veteran

$27,194 ANNUAL PENSION BENEFIT
$2,,266 MONTHLY PENSION BENEFIT

Widow or Widower of Veteran

$14,761 ANNUAL PENSION BENEFIT
$1,230 MONTHLY PENSION BENEFIT

****Rates effective 12/2019 and are subject to change. Please see the Department of Veterans Affairs website for specifics.

Contact Baker Law Group

Our Massachusetts elder law and estate planning lawyers can help you to plan your estate or determine VA pension benefit eligibility. Contact us for a complimentary consultation: 781.996.5656 or 800.701.0352.