Benefits Guide for Elderly Veterans

• Guide to Veterans' Benefits

• Your Most Important Document: the DD Form 214
• VA Medical Benefits Eligibility
• Priority for Eligibility
• Veterans Health Insurance
• Veterans Pension Benefit
• Life Insurance
• Burial Benefits and Military Funeral Honors
• Memorial Services & National Cemetery Burial
• Conclusion

Guide to veterans' benefits

Military veterans can receive benefits for medical care, life insurance, pensions, and burial services. Some benefits are limited to active duty personnel, while others are available to veterans over 65. If you're a U.S. military veteran, you likely qualify for at least some of these programs.

This guide covers eligibility requirements, health benefits, pensions, life insurance, and burial benefits to help you understand what you may be entitled to and how to apply.

Your most important document: the DD Form 214

The DD Form 214 is your proof of military service. You need it to apply for most veterans' benefits. Your branch of service issues this form, and it documents when you served and under what conditions.

Treat your DD Form 214 the same way you treat your birth certificate or social security card. Keep it safe and in a known location. You'll need it not just for benefits applications but potentially for other official purposes throughout your life.

The National Guard and Reserves use DD Form 256 instead of DD Form 214.

If you've lost your DD Form 214, request a copy from your last unit or the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri. You can request documents online through the eVetRecs system or by mailing a completed Standard Form SF-180.

VA medical benefits eligibility

VA medical benefits don't mean free healthcare. When you apply, you'll learn what services are covered and what you'll pay in copays and fees based on your eligibility level.

Anyone who served on active duty can request medical benefits. National Guard and Reserve members may qualify if they were activated by federal order. Your eligibility depends on several factors: when and where you served, service-related disabilities, injuries during active duty, income level, and other circumstances.

Most Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War veterans qualify. If you served in Iraq or Afghanistan, you may be eligible for benefits for up to five years after returning home. You don't need combat wounds or combat-related illness to qualify—active duty service alone may be enough.

If you're unsure whether you qualify, apply. You may be approved for some level of coverage.

Priority for eligibility

The VA uses priority groups to allocate care to those with the greatest need. Veterans with low income or serious disabilities are typically in higher priority groups than those with higher income and no disabilities.

There are eight priority groups. Your group is based on factors including:

Purple Heart or Medal of Honor recipients

• Service-related disabilities
• Severe disability or housebound status
• Medicaid or VA pension eligibility
• A dishonorable discharge may lower your priority or make you ineligible
• Your priority group determines how quickly you receive care and how much you pay. For example, priority groups 1 through 5 pay nothing for the first three urgent care visits per year, then $30 per visit. Groups 6 through 8 pay $30 for all urgent care visits. Inpatient hospital costs are also lower for groups 1 through 6 compared to groups 7 and 8.

Veterans health insurance

VA health insurance covers wellness exams, preventive care, immunizations, inpatient hospital care, and other services. Depending on your situation, dental or specialty care may also be covered.

The VA Health Care for Elderly Veterans program is for veterans with complex medical needs who require long-term care beyond standard coverage. It includes Geriatrics and Extended Care for veterans in nursing homes or receiving home and community-based services.

Veterans pension benefit

The Veterans Pension Benefit is a monthly payment for low-income veterans who served at least one day during wartime. The Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit provides up to $1,800 per month for veterans needing assisted living, nursing home care, or home-based services.

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, you must meet at least one of these conditions:

Age 65 or older

Totally and permanently disabled

• Require skilled nursing care in a nursing home
• Receive Social Security Disability Insurance
• Receive Supplemental Security Income
• A veteran is considered totally and permanently disabled if one or more of the following applies:
• You need help with daily activities such as bathing or dressing

You are bedridden for much of the day

• You live in a nursing home due to health needs
• Your vision is 5/200 or worse in both eyes, even with correction
• Eligibility is assessed case by case. If you meet some criteria, apply—there's no penalty for applying. Complete VA Form 21P-527EZ and submit it with supporting documents to the Pension Management Center for your state.
• The benefit provides up to $1,800 per month for a veteran or up to $900 per month for an unmarried surviving spouse, but you must also meet income and asset limits.

The Housebound program offers increased monthly pension payments to veterans who cannot leave home due to permanent disability. It helps cover medical costs but does not directly pay for assisted living or nursing home care.

Both Aid and Attendance and Housebound have income and asset limits. The payments can help with living expenses but won't cover all long-term care costs. To qualify for Housebound, you must be confined to your home, a nursing home, or an assisted living facility.

To apply for Housebound, submit VA Form 21-2680. Your doctor must document your disability. The additional monthly payment can help offset medical costs.

Processing times for these programs can be long. Apply as soon as you meet the eligibility criteria. The good news is that benefits are retroactive—you'll receive payment for the months you waited for approval.

Life insurance

Military personnel and veterans can apply for life insurance through the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program (SGLI) or Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI). Both are backed by the VA, ensuring beneficiaries receive payouts.

You must enroll while in service or shortly after separation. The VA occasionally opens enrollment periods outside the normal window, giving you a second chance if you missed the deadline.

VGLI premiums increase with age, which can make it expensive over time. Many veterans find private term life insurance more affordable if they can qualify.

Burial benefits and military funeral honors

Eligible veterans can receive burial services, a burial flag, a headstone or marker, and military funeral honors. These benefits recognize your service and help families manage costs during a difficult time.

You're eligible for free burial services if you have no dishonorable discharge on your record. The funeral home can arrange Military Funeral Honors if you provide your military documentation.

The VA provides a fixed burial allowance to eligible surviving spouses—not a reimbursement for actual burial costs, but a set amount based on the circumstances of death. If the veteran died from a non-service-related cause, the surviving spouse may receive up to $300 for funeral and burial expenses and up to $807 for plot or interment costs. Apply within two years of burial.

If the veteran died from a service-related cause, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. There is no time limit to apply for this benefit, though the veteran must have been buried after September 11, 2001. You have one year from the time of application to submit the required documentation to remain eligible.

Memorial services & national cemetery burial

Veterans, their spouses, and minor children are eligible for burial at one of 131 National Cemeteries, provided the veteran completed the required service period and has no dishonorable discharge. Plots cannot be reserved in advance. Contact your VA Regional Office to confirm eligibility.

Veterans buried in private cemeteries are eligible for a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Your family may also receive a burial allowance to help with expenses.

To apply, complete VA Form 21P-530 (Application for Burial Allowance) and submit it with supporting documents to the Pension Management Center for your state.

Conclusion

Veterans' benefits can be complex, with different programs having different eligibility requirements. If you're a retired veteran, you may qualify for financial support through medical care, pension, nursing home coverage, and burial services.

Contact your local VA office if you're unsure which programs you qualify for. They can answer questions and help you apply.

Veterans buried in private cemeteries are eligible for a government-provided headstone or marker, a burial flag, and the Presidential Memorial Certificate. Families may also receive a burial allowance to cover expenses.

To apply, download, and submit VA Form 21P-530 (Application for Burial Allowance). Mail the completed document and necessary forms to the Pension Management Center for your state.

Conclusion

Veterans’ benefits can be difficult to navigate, especially since different programs have different requirements. If you’re a retired veteran, you may be eligible for additional financial support. There are programs to help with medical expenses, nursing home care, and funeral services.

If you aren’t sure what programs you’re eligible for, reach out to your local VA office for more information and assistance.