Nursing Home Care
VA limited provides nursing home services to veterans through three national programs: VA owned and operated nursing homes, state veterans’ homes owned and operated by the states, and the community
nursing home program. Each program has admission and eligibility criteria specific to the program.
VA Nursing Homes: VA owned and operated nursing homes typically admit patients requiring short-term care, in need of placement for a service-connected disability, or those who have a 70 percent or greater service-connected disability. All others are based on available resources.
State Veterans’ Home Program: The state veterans’ home program is a cooperative venture between the states and VA whereby the states petition VA for matching construction grants and once granted, VA pays a portion of the per diem. States establish eligibility criteria for short and long term care. Specialized services offered are dependent upon the capability of the home to render them.
Community Nursing Home Program: VA maintains contracts with community nursing homes though every VA medical center. The purpose of this program is to meet the nursing home needs of veterans who require long-term nursing home care in their own community, close to their families.
Admission Criteria: The general admission criteria for nursing home placement requires that a resident must be medically stable, i.e. not acutely ill, have sufficient functional deficits to require inpatient nursing home care, and is assessed by an appropriate medical provider to be in need of institutional nursing home care. Furthermore, the veteran must meet the required VA eligibility criteria for nursing home care or the contract nursing home program and the eligibility criteria for the specific state veterans home.
Long-Term Care Services: In addition to nursing home care, VA offers a variety of other long-term care services either directly or by contract with community-based agencies. Such services include adult day health care, inpatient or outpatient respite care, inpatient or outpatient geriatric evaluation and management, hospice and palliative care, and home based primary care. Veterans receiving these services may be subject to a copay.
Emergency Medical Care in Non-VA Facilities
VA may reimburse or pay for medical care provided to certain enrolled or otherwise eligible veterans by non-VA facilities only in cases of medical emergencies where VA or other federal facilities were not feasibly available. Other conditions also apply. To determine eligibility or initiate a claim, contact the VA medical facility nearest to where the emergency service was provided.
Related Pages:
VA Health Care Introduction
Financial Assessment
Medical Programs – Page 1
Medical Programs – Page 2
Medical Programs – Page 3