Frequent Questions
Scroll for answers, or click the question to automatically scroll.
What is Aid & Attendance?
This tax-free pension helps pay for on-going, out-of-pocket medical costs for veterans and their surviving spouses, such as home care for veterans and their surviving spouses.
What are the main requirements?
The veteran must have served active-duty during a wartime, their net worth is under $155,000 (excluding 1 home, 1 care and 2 acres of land), and they must show they need assistance with an activity of daily living. A surviving spouse must meet those requirements, plus have been married to the veteran at least one year, married at the time of death, and has not remarried.
Is this benefit the same as military retirement or VA homemaker/respite hours?
No, military retirement is offered through DFAS and is a separate benefit.
Homemaker/respite hours are offered through the VHA and completely different programs from ours. In fact, people can get these hours, plus our program hours!
When are the wartime dates?
-
World War II: December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946
-
Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950 - January 31, 1955
-
Vietnam Era 2: August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975
-
Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990 - current
What are the activities of daily living?
ADLs are basic tasks such as Eating, bathing/showering, dressing, grooming, transferring, toileting, medication reminders. Housekeeping and laundry are not considered ADLs.
What to expect next?
After your information is submitted to Patriot, we will reach out to your point of contact. Our account manager will have further questions to determine your eligibility. If you are the point of contact, please be prepared to answer questions about the status of the client's financial, medical and military information. Click here to access a very helpful document as you prepare.
We will then start to complete the necessary forms that will need to be submitted to the VA. There will be forms we can gather, such as military and medical forms. Though, we will need assistance from you to gather financial documents. The sooner we can gather all the documents, the sooner care can start.
How long does it take for the pension application to be approved?
The VA review process usually takes 3-4 months, BUT by working with us, your no out-of-pocket costs home care can begin in around a month.
What type of care will Aid & Attendance cover?
For care to be approved, the veteran or surviving spouse must need home care assistance for eating, bathing/showering, dressing, grooming, transferring, toileting, medication reminders, or have diagnosed memory issues. After approval, It is up to our home care partners to determine what type of care they are willing to provide.
What documents are needed to complete the application?
Information requests differ for all individuals, but generally the documents needed from clients are:
-
DD-214 military discharge papers
-
Copy of income benefits letters (Social Security, retirement, etc.)
-
Proof of all assets, such as bank statements
-
Proof of medical insurance premiums
-
Marriage and death certificates as appropriate for each case
How will this process work once the application is submitted to the VA?
Congrats! Care can begin once your application is submitted to the VA. Here are the next steps:
1. Depending on various factors, you will be awarded an amount of hours that you can use each month. You will work with your home care agency to determine the schedule of care.
2. The VA will review your application, which can take several months. Patriot will pay the care invoices during this time, so you will have no out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Even though we are floating the costs, we will still be sending a monthly invoice to you. Payment is not required at this time, but we want to emphasize that payment is required once the VA approves the application.
4. Once the application is approved, the VA will pay you (the client) directly. This will include all the back pay from previous months.
5. You will then need to pay Patriot for the care that we have been covering for you.
Please reach out to us if you have any more questions!