Yesterday, we met with Aaron Budd, an attorney who specializes in Elder Law, and an expert on VA Aide & Attendance benefits.  We learned a TON of information on what it takes to qualify, how to qualify, and what types of benefits are available.  Here’s what we learned:
The VA Aide & Attendance program offers reimbursements for medical expenses for qualified Veterans and/or their spouses.
Here’s what it takes to qualify:
– The individual must be 65 years or older.
– The individual needs help with at least 2 out of 5 Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).  Typical ADLs include bathing, toileting, transferring, eating, and dressing.
– The individual must be a Veteran or a surviving spouse of a Veteran that served during a time of war.
– The Veteran must not have been dishonorably discharged.
– The Veteran must have served at least 90 consecutive days of Active Duty.
– For a surviving spouse to qualify, they must have been married to the Veteran at the time of death. If the Veteran remarried or divorced, the spouse will not qualify.
– The individual must have less than $120,000 in investments and banks.  Houses, cars, and personal property are exempt. There is also a 3 year lookback period as of October 2018. This means the individual must have been within the $120,000 threshold for at least 3 years.
– Ideally, the individual needs to have more unreimbursed medical expenses than income.
– The individual will need the DD214 form, and any marriage certificates or death certificates.
– Aaron Budd suggested sending a Letter of Intent first, as the Aide & Attendance program typically backdates payments upon approval. Sending this letter will initiate the process, so the reimbursements will begin when the Letter of Intent was received. 
– Veterans with no dependents qualify for $22,577 of reimbursements per year.
– Veterans with dependents or a Veteran spouse qualify for $26,765 per year.
– Surviving spouses qualify for $14,529 per year.
While we’re definitely not experts, we’re here to help. If we don’t know the answer, we can help get you in contact with Aaron or other resources.
We’re so very thankful for our Veterans and their families, and all the sacrifices made for our benefit. We’re here to help you in any way we can!!