Long-term care costs can add up quickly. For veterans and the surviving spouses of veterans who need in-home care or are in a nursing home, help may be available. The Veterans Administration (VA) has an underused pension benefit called Aid and Attendance that provides money to those who need assistance performing everyday tasks. Even veterans whose income is above the legal limit for a VA pension may qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit if they have large medical expenses for which they do not receive reimbursement. Aid and Attendance is a pension benefit, which means it is available to Continue Reading
Help Paying for Medicare
Medicare is not free; there are premiums and deductibles. If you don’t qualify for Medicaid and can’t afford a Medigap policy, you may be able to get help paying for the costs of Medicare. There are four Medicare assistance programs, called Medicare Savings Plans: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB): The QMB program pays for Medicare Part A deductibles, Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles, and coinsurance and deductibles for Part A and Part B. Specified Low-income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB): The SLMB program pays for Medicare Part B Premium. Qualifying Individual (QI-1) Program: The QI-1 program is an expansion of the SLMB Continue Reading