Benefits for Vets
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37)
income cap for these services is the
same as that for health-care eligibility.
In general, unless there is a hardship
finding, veterans with income above
$25,000 are assessed a copay of $15 per
day for services.
financing—no need for a down payment. Older vets seeking to buy a unit in
a senior-housing community may find
this benefit useful—particularly in these
days when home values are depressed
and mortgages, especially mortgages
with no down payment, are harder to
come by. (The cost of the required funding fee—typically 2. 15 percent—can be
added to the total mortgage amount, so it
isn’t necessary to pay this fee up front.)
Dr. Oz Show Contest Details
Assisted living
Vets and their spouses can qualify
for VA-provided aid and attendance
services. The income thresholds for
eligibility (set higher than those for
ordinary health care) are $14,457 for a
single housebound vet or $18,120 for
a couple, and $19,736 for a single vet in
assisted living or $23,396 for a couple,
after all allowable deductions.
Prescription drugs
Here’s how good the VA drug plan is: all
drugs are provided free or for an $8 copay, depending on income. “So veterans
may not need any Part D plan at all,” says
Tom Pamperin, acting associate deputy
undersecretary for benefits and programs at the VA. Additionally, pension
recipients are exempt from copays for
VA health services, including drugs.
Nursing home care
The VA owns and runs 132 nursing
home facilities, and contracts with another 2,500 private homes in locations
where it doesn’t own one. Congress has
mandated that the VA find a place for
those veterans with disability ratings
of 70 percent or higher. Vets with lower
disability ratings are eligible as well, but
they could be placed on a waiting list
because of limited availability in many
areas. Most states also operate veterans’
nursing homes, some with more lenient
admission requirements.
VA-guaranteed mortgages
Many veterans—and many mortgage
lenders—wrongly think you can take out
only one VA mortgage in a lifetime. The
fact is, you can get multiple mortgages,
but usually just one at a time, and you
must have paid off the old one. These
VA mortgages provide 100 percent
In determining eligibility for all veter-
ans’ benefits, the VA is less restrictive
than Medicaid regarding personal assets
and income. Federal aid (such as food
stamps or Supplemental Security In-
come) is not counted. Also, unlike with
Medicaid, the VA’s goal is to keep people
in their own homes, so homes and cars
are not counted as assets. Veterans are
generally allowed to have $80,000 in
household savings and investments and
still qualify for pensions and health care.
There is also no “look-back” period for
signing over assets to relatives.
Enter now at aarpmagazine.org/
ozsweeps for a chance to win a two-night trip to New York City to see
The Dr. Oz Show. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to residents
of the United States and Washington,
D.C., who are over age 45. Entry period
ends May 25, 2010. The prize includes
two tickets to The Dr. Oz Show, airfare
for the winner and a guest, two-nights/
one-room hotel costs, and $250 toward food and incidentals. Travel shall
occur during the fall 2010 taping of The
Dr. Oz Show, but no later than April 2011.
Void where prohibited. Approximate
retail value of the prize is $3,000. To
enter and for more details and official
rules, please visit aarpmagazine.org/
ozsweeps.
Photo Credits
Rock Icons Roll On Pages 50-51: From left: Bob Dylan: William
Miller/Retna/Corbis; Roger Daltry: Andy Mills/Corbis; Neil Young: Brian
Hineline/Corbis; Stevie Nicks: Gaye Gerard; Prince: Frank Micellotta;
Tina Turner: Herbert P. Oczeret/Corbis; David Bowie: Chip East/Corbis;
James Taylor: Juan Herrero/Corbis; Carole King: Kevin Winter/Getty;
Pete Townsend: Martin Philbey/Corbis.
National Parks Less Traveled Pages 76 and 78: Crater Lake,
Oregon: Charles Gurche; Olympic, Washington: Melissa Farlow; Great
Sand Dunes, Colorado: AuroraPhotos/Alamy; Isle Royale, Michigan:
Ray Dumas; Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee: Richard Bernabe;
Hot Springs, Arkansas: Buddy Mays/Corbis; Big Bend, Texas: Ian Shive/
Corbis; Petrified Forest, Arizona: Ian Shive; Redwood, California: Reg
Charity/Corbis; Kobuk Valley, Alaska: B & C Alexander/ArcticPhoto.
Big 5-Oh Page 92: Julianne Phillips: John M. Heller/Getty; Stevie
Wonder: David Fisher/Rex USA/BEI; Kristin Scott-Thomas: George
Pimentel/Film Magic/Getty; Jim Nabors: Sara de Boer/Retna; H. Ross
Perot: Courtesy of Dell Inc.; Tom Jones: Gregory Pace/BEI; Toni Tennille:
Bobby Bank/WireImage; Roma Downey: T. Arroyo/AP Images.
Dave Lindorff is a journalist based in
Ambler, Pennsylvania.
For black-and-white reprints of this article call 866-888-3723.
SERBS ONKP THOU AFT
COMEBLOWYOURHORN SAY
SALTLAKECITYUTAH SIP
TRY BRN TEST BOLO
SNUG AS I DE OFFERS
LAB ARRAS AORTAS
LEFTLANEMUSTTURNLEFT
AMER HEM MA T T I DES
BEMAD AM I I N I SSO
ERASES I N TOEACH ZE TA
L I L L I FESOMERA I N NE T
SLEW MUSTFALL MUSCAT
ASPS FRYER THOSE
SCAL E I KE NOD OREL
A L L SWE L L THA TENDSWEL L
GOA T EE MAOR I T EM
SCORNS PRESS ZEBU
BEAN PACT CHU ANN
OUR TH I SWON THUR TMUCH
AP T ONL Y T I MEWI L L TEL L
SSE I SLE T I NA SCARE
Solution to Puzzle on page 79.
