The Veterans Administration just rolled out sweeping new eligibility rules for veterans and their spouses who require long-term care. The rules apply to needs-based pensions, such as Aid & Attendance, which is a program that helps veterans and their families to offset the cost of out-of-pocket medical expenses. For example, a veteran or their spouse who receives care at home or in a facility can receive additional money each month from the Aid & Attendance pension if their income falls below a certain threshold as a result of out-of-pocket medical costs.
Until this month, in order to qualify for Aid & Attendance, the government only took into account a family’s monthly income and medical expenses. Although there was a ballpark maximum asset amount a family could have, there was no hard and fast asset limit. Better yet, there was no lookback period for gift transfers and no gift penalties imposed, which made the program more attractive compared to Medical Assistance (Medicaid). Now, that is no longer the case.
The new rules establish a maximum “net worth” limit, which takes into account both assets and annual income of the veteran and their spouse. That net worth limit is pegged to the community spouse resource allowance under Medicaid, which this year is $123,600. If a veteran and their spouse (if married) have annual income (less out-of-pocket medical expenses) plus total assets in excess of this asset limit, they can no longer qualify for Aid & Attendance. They will have to either reduce assets or reduce income (keeping in mind that an increase in care costs can have the effect of reducing income), in order to qualify. The veteran or spouse’s primary residence, including 2 acres surrounding the home, is excluded from the asset limit.
In addition, the new rules impose a 36-month lookback period for transfers of assets for less than fair market value. (This is less stringent than the 60-month lookback period for Medicaid.) The penalty period is calculated by taking the sum of all gift transfers made within the lookback period and dividing it by the maximum monthly pension amount, which determines the number of months that the veteran or spouse is ineligible for VA pension benefits. A penalty period begins to run on the first of the month following the date of the last gift transfer. Only gift transfers that result in financial eligibility are penalized, however; if the veteran or spouse was already below the net worth limit, or if they were close to it, the penalty is reduced or can be zero depending on the circumstances.
The takeaway: Veterans and their families who are considering applying for Aid & Attendance benefits through the VA should consult a VA-accredited attorney like me as soon as possible to determine whether they need to wait to apply due to the new transfer penalty rules and whether they meet the new net worth limit. Please contact me if you have questions.
