Dad's pension and Aid and Attendance payment were set on the facts VA had when it decided the claim. When those facts change, VA needs to hear about it, and the payment can change with them. A move is the change families most often miss, because it feels like a care decision rather than a benefits decision.1 This briefing covers the changes that count, what to check before you call, and how to report each one so there is a record.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Three changes that count

Watch for three kinds of change: a new mailing address, a new place to live, and a long hospital or facility stay. A new address is the easiest to miss and the most costly, because VA letters asking for information go to the address on file, and the response deadline runs whether or not the letter arrives.2 A new place to live, such as moving from the house to assisted living or a nursing home, changes the rate that applies. A long hospital stay can also change what is paid.2

What a facility admission can do to the rate

If a nursing home's care is paid through Medicaid, VA's pension rate for a veteran in that setting may be set lower than the standard rate. Do not assume the award stays the same after an admission. Ask VA, in writing, which rate applies, the effective date of that rate, and whether the change affects any payment already made.3 Keep the admission paperwork that shows who pays for the stay, since VA may ask for proof of it.

What to check before you call

Check three things first. Confirm the mailing address VA has on file by reading the most recent VA letter or the account page, not from memory. Find out which payer the facility bills, whether Medicaid, Medicare, private pay, or a mix, because that determines which rate question you are asking. Then confirm whether Dad still needs the daily help that the Aid and Attendance rate is based on, since the need is about his daily care, not the address.4

How to report it

Report each change in writing and keep a copy of what you sent. Log the change on the day it happens, with the facts VA will ask for: the new address, the new setting, the admission or discharge date, and the facility's name. Send copies of the proof, not a summary, and ask VA to confirm receipt. A phone call alone leaves no record for the next review.2

Compare the setting before the move

A move is a payment decision as well as a care decision. Before choosing between keeping Dad at home with an in-home aide and moving him to a facility, ask the facility which payer it bills first and what it needs from the household's pension once he arrives. Ask an in-home provider how its billed hours change when Dad's needs change, since those hours feed the monthly figure you will have to report. Get the answers in writing before the move, not after.5

For the sources behind each footnote, see Sources. If you need help reading a VA letter or filing a change in person, see Local Help: St. Louis Offices. For the order to read the rest of this briefing, see Start Here: The Order to Read.

Notes

1 VA, Veterans Pension Benefits: https://www.va.gov/pension/

2 VA, Veterans Pension Benefits (reporting changes and notices): https://www.va.gov/pension/

3 VA, Veterans Pension Benefits (rate and facility care): https://www.va.gov/pension/

4 VA, Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits: https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/

5 VA, Application for Veterans Pension (VA Form 21P-527EZ): https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21p-527ez/