At an Arizona State Veterans Home with a VA State home care agreement, VA pays in full for the nursing home care of three groups of veterans who need that care. They are veterans rated 70% or more, veterans rated unemployable, and veterans who need the care for a service-connected disability. Under Arizona law (A.R.S. 41-603.01), the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services (ADVS) sets the guidelines for who is admitted to an Arizona State Veterans Home and what residents pay.

When a doctor says your parent now needs skilled nursing care, that split is the first thing to sort out, and your parent's VA rating decision letter is where to start.

In This Guide

Arizona's homes belong to a national system. State Veterans Homes are owned, operated and managed by state governments, not VA; VA certifies each home, surveys it every year, and helps pay for veterans' care there, but it doesn't pay for the care of non-veterans. Our guide to how State Veterans Homes work covers the federal side, and our guide to VA senior care benefits in Arizona covers VA's other long-term care options in Arizona.

Arizona State Veterans Homes in Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff

ADVS's own pages for its Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff Arizona State Veterans Homes (ASVH) each list a street address, a main line and an admissions line.

Home Address Main line Admissions line
ASVH-Tucson 555 East Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713 520-638-2150 520-638-2159 or 520-780-0234 (see below)
ASVH-Yuma 6051 E. 34th Street, Yuma, AZ 85365 928-247-8300 602-234-5678, then press 3
ASVH-Flagstaff 2100 N. Gemini Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 928-637-0600 928-637-0607

The National Association of State Veterans Homes lists the same main line and street address for each of these three homes. ADVS's Tucson page gives two different admissions numbers, 520-638-2159 in its contact block and 520-780-0234 in its admissions section, so if one doesn't reach the Tucson Admission Coordinator, try the other or the Tucson main line. For a home not listed here, start from ADVS's State Veteran Homes page.

A few details from ADVS help when you're comparing. ADVS says rehabilitative therapy (physical, occupational and speech therapy) is provided seven days a week at all three of these Arizona homes, and the Tucson and Flagstaff homes each list an onsite Veteran Benefits Counselor who helps with VA claims and benefits.

Does Your Parent Qualify for an Arizona State Veterans Home?

Before the first call, most families are asking two things: can Dad get a bed, and can Mom come too if she isn't a veteran? In Arizona, both answers come from ADVS, not VA. Arizona law has ADVS provide skilled nursing care to veterans and their spouses in Arizona's veterans' homes and set the guidelines for who is admitted.

VA leaves admission criteria to each state and says State Veterans Home eligibility is based on clinical need and setting availability, so a bed at an Arizona State Veterans Home depends on your parent's nursing needs and on an opening at the home.

The spouse question carries real money. VA says some State Veterans Homes admit non-veteran spouses while others admit only veterans, and VA doesn't pay for the care of non-veterans. A non-veteran mother at an Arizona State Veterans Home would owe the resident charge ADVS sets with no VA payment toward her care.

The Admission Coordinator at the Arizona State Veterans Home you're considering is the person who can tell you whether your parent meets ADVS's guidelines today. On the first call, ask for ADVS's current admission requirements in writing, including any discharge, residency or medical paperwork the home needs.

Who Decides What an Arizona State Veterans Home Costs?

Arizona does. Under A.R.S. 41-603.01, ADVS must operate and maintain the Arizona State Veterans Homes as self-sustaining facilities and must set guidelines for admission and for the monetary charges residents pay, in line with the federal requirements that let the homes receive federal financial assistance. VA says the same thing from its side: the cost to the resident of a State Veterans Home varies by state.

Because ADVS sets the rate, the number to plan around is the one the home quotes you: ask the home's Admission Coordinator for the current resident charge, in writing, before you sign anything.

Take the resident charge seriously as a debt. Arizona law lets ADVS settle a debt owed to an Arizona State Veterans Home by collecting at least 75% of the account balance, and if ADVS can't collect at least 75%, Arizona law says ADVS must refer the account to the Arizona attorney general's office for collection. If a bill is going to be a problem, call the home early.

Where VA fits in for most veterans: VA pays the state a basic per diem for an eligible veteran's care in a State home, capped at the lesser of half the daily cost of care or VA's basic per diem rate for the year. That VA per diem goes to Arizona, not to your family, which is why the Arizona resident charge can still apply on top.

When VA Pays the Whole Bill

For some veterans, VA's payment can cover the whole nursing home bill. Under 38 U.S.C. 1745 and VA's regulation at 38 CFR 51.41, VA contracts with each State home to pay for nursing home care for three groups of veterans:

Under 38 U.S.C. 1745 and 38 CFR 51.41, for a veteran who needs nursing home care and is rated 70% or more, has a TDIU rating, or needs that care for a service-connected disability, VA's payment to the State Veterans Home is payment in full for that nursing home care. If an Arizona State Veterans Home has a State home care agreement with VA, it may not charge any individual, insurer or other entity besides VA for the nursing home care VA pays for under that agreement. Ask the home whether it has one, and bring your parent's VA rating decision letter to the first admissions call.

Other Ways to Help Pay

If your parent doesn't fall in one of those three groups, VA Aid and Attendance is the benefit most families look at next. Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly payment added to a VA pension, so your parent must first qualify for the VA pension, which has its own wartime-service, discharge, income and net-worth tests. Being a patient in a nursing home because of the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability is one of the situations VA lists as a need for aid and attendance. Our guide to using Aid and Attendance toward a nursing home in Arizona walks through the claim, and ADVS lists an onsite Veteran Benefits Counselor for VA claims and benefits at its Tucson and Flagstaff homes.

Ask the home's Admission Coordinator which other payers, such as Medicare or private insurance, the Arizona home works with before you count on any of them.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1
Step 1

Pick a home and call its Admission Coordinator

The Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff admissions lines are in the table above.

2
Step 2

Get the application

ADVS says Arizona State Veterans Home admissions forms can also be downloaded and printed, so ask the Admission Coordinator where to find the current forms, or start from ADVS's State Veteran Homes page.

3
Step 3

Ask your parent's doctor to document the need for care

VA says State Veterans Home eligibility is based on clinical need, so bring the doctor's statement of your parent's nursing care needs to the admissions call.

4
Step 4

Ask for the resident charge before you sign

Get ADVS's current resident charge from the Admission Coordinator in writing, and bring any VA rating decision letter to that conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my mother move into an Arizona State Veterans Home on her own after my father has died?

Possibly. ADVS sets the admission guidelines, so ask the home's Admission Coordinator whether a surviving spouse qualifies. Plan for the cost: VA doesn't pay for the care of non-veterans, so a non-veteran surviving spouse's stay in an Arizona State Veterans Home would be paid without VA's per diem, through the resident charge ADVS sets.

My father's VA rating went up after he moved in. Can the Arizona home get paid back?

It can ask. When a retroactive VA service-connected rating brings a veteran within the payment-in-full rules, 38 CFR 51.41 lets a State home that has a State home care agreement with VA, including an Arizona home, request payment under that agreement back to the rating's effective date or February 2, 2013, whichever is later. Tell the Arizona home's business office as soon as the new rating letter arrives.

What if the Arizona home we want has no open bed?

VA says State Veterans Home eligibility is based on clinical need and setting availability, so an opening matters as much as your parent's care needs. ADVS's Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff homes each have their own admissions line, so ask the Admission Coordinator at every Arizona home you would accept about openings rather than waiting on one.

How much does VA pay an Arizona State Veterans Home for a veteran rated 70% or more?

The rate isn't one national figure. Under 38 CFR 51.41, the State home care agreement rate reflects the prevailing rate for nursing home care in the area where the State home is located, and VA adjusts it every year. What matters for your family is that if the Arizona home has a State home care agreement with VA, it may not bill you for the nursing home care VA pays for under that agreement.

Learn More

VA BenefitsHow State Veterans Homes WorkState veterans homes are state-run, VA-certified care homes. See who gets in, how VA per diem and the 70% rating rule shape the cost, and find your state. VA BenefitsVA Senior Care Benefits in ArizonaA complete guide to VA senior care benefits in Arizona: home care, nursing homes, Aid and Attendance, state veteran homes, and how to access them in 2026. VA BenefitsUsing Aid and Attendance Toward a Nursing Home in ArizonaVA Aid and Attendance can help pay for a nursing home in Arizona. Learn the 2026 rates, who qualifies, the $90/month Medicaid cap, and how ALTCS interacts. VA BenefitsArizona Aid and Attendance GuideVA Aid and Attendance in Arizona for 2026: who qualifies, the monthly rates up to $2,874, how to apply, and free help from ADVS Veteran Benefit Counselors. VA BenefitsAid and Attendance for Memory Care in ArizonaHow VA Aid and Attendance helps pay for memory care in Arizona: 2026 monthly rates, why veterans with dementia often qualify, the expense rule, how to apply.

Find personalized help getting a veteran parent into an Arizona State Veterans Home at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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