State Veterans Homes and the VA Per Diem
Lower-cost nursing home, domiciliary and adult day care run by the states and checked by VA. Each state sets who gets in and what you pay.
What it is
State Veterans Homes are facilities that provide nursing home, domiciliary or adult day care. They are owned, operated and managed by state governments, in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. VA does not run them. VA certifies (recognizes) the homes and surveys every home each year to make sure it still meets VA standards.
How VA helps pay
A recognized State Veterans Home may receive payments from VA to help cover the cost of care for Veterans. VA pays the state home, not you. The federal rules (38 CFR 51.40) set the basic per diem at the lesser of half the daily cost of care or the basic rate VA sets each year. VA does not pay for care for non-Veterans.
What you pay varies by state and by home. VA's page says to talk with a VA social worker about eligibility rules and the cost of care at a State Veterans Home.
How VA helps pay
Who can get in
VA says eligibility is based on clinical need and whether a bed is open. Each state sets its own eligibility and admission rules. Some homes also admit non-Veteran spouses and Gold Star parents, and others admit only Veterans. Ask the home you are looking at.
How to get started, step by step
- Find the homes in your state in the National Association of State Veterans Homes directory (VA's page points to it).
- Call the home and ask for its admission rules, its cost and whether there is a wait.
- Ask a VA social worker about eligibility and cost. Call your VA medical center or 877-222-8387.
- Ask the home which papers it needs, and get them together before you call back.
Traps to avoid
- Recognized by VA does not mean run by VA. The state decides who is admitted and what it costs.
- Do not assume a spouse can be admitted. Some homes take only Veterans.
- Do not wait for a crisis. Ask about waiting lists early.
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- VA health care questions, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET: 877-222-8387 (source: VA: How to apply for health care). Ask for a social worker at your nearest VA medical center.
- Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: 988, then press 1 (source: VA State Veterans Homes page)
- Individual homes: each home lists its own number in the directory below.
Official pages