For families
Hospice for veterans
Roughly one in four people who die in this country is a veteran. Most of their families never find out what was available to them, because nobody told them to ask.
The money question first
There are two doors and your father can walk through either one.
The VA. Hospice is part of the VA Medical Benefits Package for enrolled veterans, with no copay. If he is enrolled and receiving care through the VA, that route is open.
Medicare. A veteran on Medicare Part A can elect the Medicare hospice benefit like anyone else. Nothing is forfeited by choosing this route, and for most families it is the simpler one.
Ask us and we will help you work out which applies. That conversation costs nothing and does not commit anyone to anything.
Aid and Attendance is the one people miss
A monthly payment on top of a VA pension, for a veteran or a surviving spouse who needs help with bathing, dressing or eating. It is separate from hospice and can run alongside it. Families find out about it years too late all the time.
What actually changes at the end of life for someone who served
This is the part that gets left out of benefit pamphlets. Dying can bring back things a person spent fifty years not talking about.
- Combat memories resurface. As medication and illness loosen someone's grip on the present, things they never told their family can come up. It can be frightening if you did not know to expect it.
- Pain is often reported differently. Men who were trained not to complain will say they are fine at a level that would put someone else in a chair. It has to be asked about differently.
- Exposure-related illness. Agent Orange, burn pits, asbestos in ship service. These shape what the last months look like.
- Being thanked matters. Plenty of veterans were never formally recognised. Doing it before the end is worth more than most families expect.
What we need to get started
His DD-214 if you can find it, and the name of his VA facility if he uses one. If you cannot find the DD-214, do not let that stop you calling. It is recoverable and it is not required to start a conversation.
Questions
Does the VA pay for hospice?
Yes. Hospice is part of the VA Medical Benefits Package for enrolled veterans, and there are no copays for it. If your father is enrolled with the VA, that is a route to covered hospice care.
Can a veteran use Medicare hospice instead?
Yes, and most do. A veteran enrolled in Medicare Part A can elect the Medicare hospice benefit exactly like anyone else. Being a veteran does not require you to go through the VA, and it does not cost you a benefit to choose one over the other.
What is Aid and Attendance?
A monthly payment added to a VA pension for veterans or surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. It is separate from hospice and can run alongside it. It is worth asking about, because a lot of families never hear of it.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.