Florida VA Pension Benefits: Why Should I Care?

You have stumbled on this blog about Florida VA pension benefits.  Great!  You may even read a post I have written to see if you qualify for VA pension benefits as the veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran.  Now comes your next question:  why should I care about these benefits?

1) Long-term health care costs are eating away at your savings.  Learn about the specific costs of long term health care in Florida here.  In Jacksonville, an assisted living home costs $ 3,250 per month out of pocket.  If you need a home health care aide in Jacksonville, the aide on average costs $ 19 per hour.  Five hours a day for an in home care aide will run $100 per day in Jacksonville, Florida!  That is a lot of money if you look long term.  The VA pension benefits will pay qualified recipients cash for these expensive health care costs beginning on the date that you apply for the benefits.  If you are middle class and have a modest nest egg, the ultimate result of the long term health care cost could leave you at such a low net worth that you will end up qualifying for the VA pension anyways.   Why not get yourself in the position to apply for the benefits now rather than wait until all your savings are gone?

2)  You can pass on more wealth to your family and still receive care in your home.  As you may have figured out, you will have to essentially give away everything except your Florida homestead and a low sum of cash in order to qualify.  Why not give your family their inheritance now instead of seeing their inheritance being eaten away by long term health care costs?  Your children and grandchildren may need money now, so who would you rather see paid with your retirement savings: your family or your health care providers.  Unlike medicaid that forces you in a nursing home, a veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran can receive money to pay for home health care aides, these home health care aides could be family members.

From reading this article, you may have determine that in order to get VA pension benefits, you will have to "give it all away."  It is not as harsh as I make it sound.  If you live in Florida or have a veteran family member living in Florida, contact a Florida elder law attorney to determine if the veteran or surviving spouse qualifies for VA pension.