California State Veterans Homes: Who Qualifies, Cost, How to Apply

At California's state veterans homes, state law caps a member's skilled-nursing fees at 70% of annual income, and CalVet's average skilled-nursing waits run from 1–3 years to more than 6 years. The eight Veterans Homes of California are run by the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet). For a veteran rated 70% or more service-connected who needs nursing home care, federal law makes VA's payment to a California Veterans Home payment in full, and California's fee caps don't apply to that member in intermediate or skilled nursing care. If you're weighing a home for a parent or a spouse, here is who qualifies, what it costs, where the beds are, and how to get on a list before the need is urgent.1,2,3

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• What a California Veterans Home Is
• The Eight Homes and What Each One Offers
• Does Your Veteran Qualify?
• Can a Spouse or Partner Live There Too?
• What Does a California Veterans Home Cost?
• When VA Pays the Home in Full
• How to Apply, Step by Step
• Getting Through the Waiting List
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

What a California Veterans Home Is

A State Veterans Home is owned, operated and managed by a state government, not by the VA. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs formally recognizes and certifies each home, then surveys it every year to make sure it still meets VA standards. Each state sets its own eligibility and admission rules.4

In California, the state operator is the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), and the homes are the Veterans Homes of California. The admission rules come from the California Military and Veterans Code and from CalVet's own application process.1

That makes a California Veterans Home a state facility, not a VA hospital or a VA nursing home. If you're comparing it with a VA Community Living Center, our guide to VA nursing home care explains what the VA itself runs and pays for. Our national guide to State Veterans Homes shows how the program works in every state.

The Eight Homes and What Each One Offers

The eight homes are not interchangeable. CalVet's own "Average Wait for Admission by Home and Level of Care" table shows which levels of care each home offers. A home with no entry for a level of care doesn't offer that level. The four levels are Domiciliary (Dom), a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE), a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), and skilled nursing with a Memory Care unit (SNF/MC).2

Two things stand out. If your parent needs skilled nursing, the Lancaster and Ventura Veterans Homes aren't options, because they offer assisted living only. And if memory care is the need, CalVet lists skilled nursing with memory care at four homes: Fresno, Redding, West Los Angeles and Yountville.2

Every home has its own admissions office. CalVet's Veterans Homes Directory lists these addresses and phone numbers:2

Does Your Veteran Qualify?

The answer is often more generous than families expect. Under California Military and Veterans Code section 1012, the Veterans Homes of California are for aged or disabled veterans who were discharged or released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, who are eligible for VA health care, hospitalization or domiciliary care, and who are California residents at the time they apply.1

CalVet's basic admission requirements for a veteran are:1

• Age or need: 55 or older, homeless, or disabled. CalVet says it may waive the age requirement for a veteran who is homeless or disabled.
• Service: a veteran who served on active duty, discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Some county pages say "honorable conditions," but the statute's test is "other than dishonorable."
• Residency: a California resident.
• Insurance: covered under a medical insurance policy.
• Proof: a DD214, or equivalent documentation from the Department of Defense or the VA.

CalVet notes that an applicant may face more requirements based on care needs and personal background.1

Some veterans move up the line. Under section 1012, Medal of Honor recipients and former POWs get priority over all other qualified veterans for admission to a California Veterans Home. Under the same section, veterans rated by VA as 70% or more service-connected disabled may also be given priority for admission to a California Veterans Home. CalVet also lists veterans experiencing homelessness among the groups it gives priority for admission.1

Can a Spouse or Partner Live There Too?

A couple can live in a California Veterans Home together, with conditions. CalVet says a nonveteran spouse or domestic partner applying with a veteran must:1

1. Submit a joint application with the veteran.
2. Have lived with the veteran for a year or longer.
3. Have been married to the veteran, or in a registered domestic partnership, for a year or longer.
4. Be 55 or older, homeless, or disabled.
5. Be a California resident with medical insurance.

The joint application matters. If you don't file jointly, or if the veteran is denied, CalVet says the nonveteran spouse or partner isn't eligible for admission. CalVet makes one exception: a surviving nonveteran spouse or domestic partner of a deceased Medal of Honor recipient or ex-POW can apply to a California Veterans Home without a veteran applicant. Under California Military and Veterans Code section 1012, a member spouse or domestic partner may keep living in a California Veterans Home after the veteran dies, as long as they keep paying all applicable fees.1

What Does a California Veterans Home Cost?

Under California Military and Veterans Code section 1012.3, members of a California Veterans Home, including nonveteran spouses and domestic partners, pay fees set by CalVet for room, board and other expenses. The law caps a member's total fees for any fiscal year at a share of that member's annual income:1

These are ceilings under California law, not a price list, and CalVet doesn't publish a dollar rate on its application pages. Plan around the ceiling. At the 70% skilled-nursing cap, a California Veterans Home member keeps at least 30% of annual income, and if that income also has to cover a spouse still living at home, sit down with the numbers before you apply.1 Income alone won't keep your veteran out: CalVet says no veteran will be denied admission to the Veterans Homes of California due to a lack of income.1

If your veteran receives VA Aid and Attendance, CalVet says the entire Aid and Attendance amount may be payable to the Veterans Homes of California.1 Our guide to Aid and Attendance for a nursing home in California explains how that pension works.

Medicare won't close the gap either. Medicare Part A covers skilled nursing facility care only on a short-term, post-acute basis, not long-term custodial care.5

When VA Pays the Home in Full

For some families, this changes everything. VA pays State Veterans Homes, including California's, on two different bases, and the basis that applies to your veteran decides what the family owes.3

Other eligible veterans: the basic per diem. For an eligible veteran, VA pays the state home a daily amount equal to the lesser of half the daily cost of care or VA's basic per diem rate for that fiscal year. Under 38 U.S.C. 1741, VA's basic per diem payments for a veteran in a State Veterans Home can never exceed half the cost of that veteran's care.3 VA pays a State Veterans Home nothing for the care of a non-veteran resident, such as a spouse.4

Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities: payment in full. Under 38 U.S.C. 1745, VA pays a State Veterans Home for the nursing home care of a veteran who needs that care for a service-connected disability or a veteran rated 70% or more service-connected who needs nursing home care, and 38 CFR 51.41 adds a veteran rated totally disabled based on individual unemployability (TDIU) who needs nursing home care. For a veteran who qualifies under 38 U.S.C. 1745 or 38 CFR 51.41 (a service-connected need, a 70% or higher service-connected rating, or TDIU), VA's payment to the State Veterans Home is payment in full, and under the home's care agreement with VA the home may not charge any individual, insurer or other entity for the nursing home care VA paid for.3

California's fee law mirrors the federal rule. California Military and Veterans Code section 1012.3 says the income-based fee schedule doesn't apply to a California Veterans Home member in intermediate or skilled nursing care who is rated by VA as 70% or more service-connected and whose VA payments count as payment in full for that care.1 If your parent's rating is at or near that line, get the VA rating decision letter for VA disability compensation in hand before you apply. Our guide to VA long-term care copays can also help you see where your veteran stands.

How to Apply, Step by Step

The paperwork breaks into clear pieces. CalVet's Veterans Home Admission Application has three sections: Section A, General Information; Section B, Authorization for Release of Information; and Section C, a Physician's Medical Certificate that the applicant's physician completes.1

Those steps come from CalVet's application page for the Veterans Homes of California, which also says an application can be transferred to another home.1,2

CalVet says the home may ask for the DD-214, a birth certificate, proof of California residency, the most recent bank statement, the latest state and federal tax returns, and Medi-Cal, Medicare and VA medical cards. CalVet warns that missing documents may delay admission, so gather them early.1

If the home says no, you can push back. CalVet says an applicant denied admission must first file a written appeal with the home's administrator. If that appeal is denied, the applicant can start a second appeal by contacting the California Veterans Board.1

Getting Through the Waiting List

Waiting is often the hardest part, especially when a parent's needs are growing. CalVet says the waits in the table above are averages. The wait starts when CalVet receives a completed application with all the necessary paperwork and ends at admission, and many factors affect it.2

Before you apply, know how CalVet runs its waiting lists:2

• Each home keeps a separate waiting list for each level of care it provides.
• You can move down a list, not just up, because CalVet is required by law to prioritize certain applicants.
• Applicants eligible for priority admission may have shorter waits, and some levels of care at some homes need little to no wait.
• You can transfer your application to another home if the wait is too long.
• Pandemic-related staffing shortages may delay or suspend admission to some homes or levels of care.

CalVet's advice for families thinking ahead is simple. The best way to secure future access to skilled nursing at a California Veterans Home is to enter at a more independent level of care, such as RCFE or domiciliary, and to apply well before the need becomes urgent.2 For other California VA help while you wait, see our guide to VA senior care benefits in California.

Learn More

Find personalized help choosing a California 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.