Click here to watch a short video on Veteran’s Benefits

 Are you a War-time Veteran?

Did you know that there are financial benefits available for Veterans and/or their surviving spouse that will help defray the cost for Assisted Living facilities, Board and Care homes and In-Home Care?

The Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension Plan, was established in 1954 under section 38 USC to assist qualified veterans, and their surviving spouses, to receive financial benefits outside of the traditional Veterans residential system. Veterans Aid and Attendance is a mandatory pension and is not subject to partisan spending or discretionary federal budget cuts.

In accordance with 38 U.S.C. and 38 C.F. R. paragraph 14.629, no individual may assist claimants in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits as an agent or attorney unless he or she has been accredited by VA.

Check the following website to ensure the person taking your private and financial information is accredited. Here is the website to check and see if the person is or not VA Accredited.

http://www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/

You can report violators to US Department of Veteran Affair, VA Inspector General Hotline at (800) 488-8244. You can also FAX to (202) 495-5861. Mailing address is 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420

Whether you are considering a move into a senior community with assistance or need help staying at home, your military service could qualify you for benefits. The Veterans Aid and Attendance pension helps qualified veterans and/or their surviving spouses purchase the senior care they need.

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR VETERANS

Advanced Wellness Geriatric Care Management (AWGCM) and a VA Accredited Claim Agent is providing a service to the community for assistance to veterans and surviving spouses of qualified veterans. We will help with all the paperwork and claim forms available from the Veterans (VA) Benefit Pension Program. We are available to assist you in filing a claim with the VA. This service is free. 

If you do not have a copy of the Discharge Certificate (DD Form 214) you may request them either online by clicking here  or I can assist you to obtain the DD Form 214. Normally you should hear from them in about 10 to 14 days or if sent by mail expect it to take 4-6 weeks.

After submitting the application to the VA it is currently taking approximately 7 to 8 months or longer to process the claim. If the physicians report indicates that the veteran or surviving spouse is not capable of handling their financial affairs the process can take up to one year or longer. The application will be processed as quickly as possible, but we have no control over the time it takes the VA to process the claim. You may contact the VA at any time to check the status of the claim.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO PROCESS CLAIM  

Application for Veterans Aid & Attendance (provided by AWGCM)

• Physician Report (provided by AWGCM)
• Copy of Discharge Certificate (DD Form 214)
• Copy of Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
• Copy of Death Certificate (if applicable)
• In Home Attendant (if applicable)
• Request for Assisted Living/Board and Care facility Form (if applicable)

BASIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA – THE VETERAN MUST:

Eligible veterans must show active duty service for a minimal 90 days during a time in which the US was involved during a declared conflict (from 1980 forward the veteran needs to serve 2 years active duty). The discharge must not be for Dishonorable reasons. You must have limited income and net worth, and Currently are permanently and totally disabled. Simply stated, this benefit helps defray the cost of care for in-home care, assisted living, board and care and under certain circumstances, independent living facilities.

HOW SOON CAN MY CLAIM BE APPROVED?

The time it takes to process your claim can take from a few weeks up to several months. The Surviving spouse claim can take up to a year or longer. Fortunately, the payment on your approved claim is retroactive back to the first day of the following month your claim was accepted by the VA. 

WAR TIME SERVICE – WHO QUALIFIES

If you served during the following war times, you will be eligible for benefits:

• WWII – Dec 7, 1941-Dec 31, 1946
• Korea – Jun 27, 1950-Jan 31, 1955
• Vietnam – Aug 5, 1964-May 7, 1975
• Persian Gulf – Aug 2, 1990 to a date to be determined
• INCOME AND NET WORTH
• The Veteran Aid and Attendance pension is a needs-based program. Even if a Veteran/Widow satisfies all other requirements, if countable income exceeds the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR), a claim for pension will be denied. If the claimant has countable income that does not exceed the MAPR, the VA reduces the MAPR dollar-for-dollar by the amount of countable income to determine the amount of the pension benefit.
• The VA does not count SSI and Welfare. Un-reimbursed medical expenses can be used to reduce the MAPR.

PERMANENT AND TOTAL DISABILITY

The statutes governing the disability pension program state that to be entitled to pension benefits, the veteran must be “permanently and totally disabled.” Congress has defined such a disability as:

• Presumptive at age 65 or
• Any disability which is sufficient to render it impossible for the average person to follow a substantially gainful occupation, but only if it is reasonably certain that such disability will continue throughout the life of the disabled person.

HOUSEBOUND BENEFITS

• The Claimant has a single permanent disability rated as 100 percent disabling under the VA rating schedule and the claimant is substantially confined to his or her dwelling.
• The claimant has a 100 percent disability with an additional disability independently ratable at 60 percent or more, whether or not the claimant is actually housebound

AREAS WE SERVICE

Located in Roseville, Ca, just outside of Sacramento, we assist veterans and their spouses in the following communities:

Sacramento County: Galt, Folsom, Antelope, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, Carmichael,

Rancho Cordova, Fair Oaks, North Highlands, Davis, Elk Grove, Orangevale, Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills

Placer County: Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis, Newcastle, Penryn, Granite Bay

Other counties: Yolo County, El Dorado County, Amador County, Yuba County, Sutter County, Nevada County

However, if you live anywhere in Northern California, call us to discuss possibilities.

For more information contact Helen Justice at helenjusticegcm@gmail.com