Are there veteran's benefits for individuals who are not receiving disability?
There are all kinds of health and financial aids for veterans with service connected disabilities - but - are there any at all for length of service retired military veterans who are now covered by medicare and not service connected disabled? What do we do when we reach the point where we need assistance? Even though we are retired from our chosen career we are far from wealthy.
Expert Answer
Yes, there are benefits for veterans who are not on disability. One of these benefits is the Non Service-Connected Pension. This benefit is for veterans or their surviving spouses who are over age 65. The veteran must have served at least 90 days on active duty and one day during wartime.Eligibility is based on income and assets.Your income needs to be extremely low to qualify for a standalone pension. There is an additional award called Aid & Attendance for those who need long term assistance, such as home care, adult day care, assisted living or nursing home care. For these people, the VA takes into account their long term care expenses as an offset to income. So even if you have significant income, if you also have high out-of-pocket medical expenses, you may qualify for this benefit. This benefit pays up to $2,019/month for a married veteran. If you receive a pension benefit from the VA, you are automatically eligible to receive VA healthcare.
As a retired military veteran, you may be eligible for Tricare for Life. Prior to turning 65, were you eligible for Tricare health benefits? If so, you can enroll in Tricare for Life which acts as a Medicare Supplement policy. It covers coinsurance and deductibles and other items that Medicare does not cover. To be eligible, you need to be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B.