Someone at the facility mentions Medicaid. Someone else mentions Aid and Attendance. Should you go after the VA money first?

Aid and Attendance is extra VA pension for a wartime veteran, or a surviving spouse, who needs help with daily care. For 2026, the ceiling for a veteran with no dependents is $29,093 a year. That is a ceiling, not a check for that amount. VA's net worth limit is $163,699. The home and a car are usually left out.

Florida does not count the Aid and Attendance extra against the Medicaid income line when it is verified. The basic VA pension still counts. So does Social Security. If those checks are still over Florida's monthly Medicaid line, you may still need a Qualified Income Trust. Do not assume that getting Aid and Attendance first means Medicaid will ignore all VA money.

VA looks back three years at gifts. Medicaid looks back five. A gift can be clean for VA and still block nursing-home Medicaid.

An unmarried partner is not a surviving spouse for this VA pension. A legally married spouse, including a same-sex spouse, is.

Bring the VA award letter, the Social Security statement, and a list of savings. Free consult in person or Zoom. (954) 563-9160. Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade.

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