All of us who live in the United States owe the men and women of the Armed Services a debt of gratitude we can never truly repay. The government does try, however, to show veterans, their dependents, and survivors how much their sacrifices are appreciated by providing them with a number of benefits. One program that can help veterans and their spouses put off the need to move to a long-term care facility is the Veterans Aid & Attendance program. Although the VA&A program is not a … [Read more...]
How Does a Veteran Qualify for Aid and Attendance?
A veterans benefits attorney at Frank & Kraft can provide personalized assistance to veterans and their families in taking steps to qualify for aid & attendance benefits. Veterans may be entitled to receive many important benefits as they age as a result of their selfless service. Many of these benefits can be invaluable to aging veterans who may need costly care when they develop age-related disabilities or become hurt or sick. Navigating the VA system to obtain benefits and … [Read more...]
A Valuable Benefit for Aging Indianapolis Veterans
Indianapolis veterans who served during wartime paid a heavy price to help preserve our freedom as Americans. Military service is demanding, and it involves a great deal of sacrifice, but there are some benefits that go along with it.Some of these benefits are overlooked, and in this blog post, we will look at a benefit that can help veterans address a financial challenge that many seniors ultimately face. Long-Term Care Costs If you are a veteran who has served during a time of war, you … [Read more...]
What Is the Veterans Aid and Attendance Special Pension?
The Veterans Aid and Attendance Special Pension is a benefit that many veterans are eligible for, but unfortunately, a lot of people are not aware of this benefit. This pension is something that sits apart from the military retirement pension that veterans earn after at least 20 years of service.Many elders require help with their activities of daily living at some point in time. In fact, the figure is 70 percent according to a government agency. Medicare does not pay for long-term care, and … [Read more...]
Can Veterans Get Help With Long-Term Care Costs?
You should certainly be aware of the impact of long-term care costs when you are creating a retirement budget. It is natural to assume that your health care basics will be covered by Medicare, but in fact, this program does not pay for long-term care.Since living assistance is very expensive, this lack of coverage presents a significant challenge. There are steps that you can take to respond, and you would do well to discuss your options with an elder law attorney so that you can be properly … [Read more...]
Veterans Estate Planning, Elder Law & Veterans Day
As we observed Veterans Day on November 11th (and throughout the month as a whole) we are reminded of the sacrifices that are made by our country's veterans so that we can all remain free. Generations of service members have contributed to the ongoing freedoms that Americans enjoy. As we observe this important holiday, we would like to touch upon estate planning and elder law as it applies to veterans. Legacy Planning When you are planning your estate you should consider the matter of legacy … [Read more...]
Senior Veterans Benefits Planning
With the cost of long-term care being what it is veterans benefits planning is very important for those who have served in the Armed Forces.How expensive is long-term care? The costs are going up every year, so it is hard to predict exactly how high they will climb over the next few decades, but as of 2012 a year residing in a private room in a nursing home averaged over $90,000 in the United States.If you're thinking that Medicare is the answer you are making a common error. In fact this … [Read more...]
Special Pension for Service Members Who Need Living Assistance
Living assistance is very expensive, Medicare won't pay for it, and of course most senior citizens are living on a fixed income. This is not the best combination of circumstances.People who have served in the military may be able to tap into a benefit that they have earned to help them address the expenses that they may incur if they need help with their day-to-day needs. This benefit is called the Veterans Aid & Attendance special pension.To qualify you have to be able to prove that … [Read more...]
Three-Year Look-Back Proposed for Veterans A & A
Because of the fact that Medicare won't pay for long-term living assistance the Medicaid program is used by many Americans to cover long-term care costs. There is a $2,000 upper resource limit, but a lot of your valuables don't count toward this figure such as your home and your vehicles. In addition, the healthy or community spouse can keep his or her half of shared resources up to a limit that stands at $113,640 in 2012.You cannot find out that you need long-term care one day and place a … [Read more...]
Informed Planning For Service Veterans
Having a comprehensive understanding of the resources that you have to draw from is key when you are formulating a plan for the future. It is not fair to expect the typical layperson to be apprised of intricate rules governing certain benefit programs, and this is of course where expert advice comes in.Without tapping into professional expertise you may actually overlook some of the benefits that you are eligible to receive, especially if you are a veteran. One of these is the Veterans Aid … [Read more...]
