VA Aid and Attendance for In-Home Care in Kansas

VA Aid and Attendance can help pay for in-home care in Kansas, turning a monthly VA pension into real money toward an aide, a homemaker, or a family caregiver. If your loved one is a wartime veteran who needs help with daily activities, this benefit can cover a meaningful share of the cost of staying at home. The hard part is usually knowing it exists and how to claim it.

This guide walks through what in-home care costs in Kansas, how much Aid and Attendance pays, how your care costs can actually help you qualify, and where to get free help applying.

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• How Much In-Home Care Costs in Kansas
• How Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for In-Home Care
• How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income
• Who Qualifies
• Using Aid and Attendance to Pay a Family Caregiver
• How Aid and Attendance Works with Kansas Medicaid
• How to Apply and Get Free Help
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

How Much In-Home Care Costs in Kansas

In-home care is often the most affordable way to get help, but the bills add up fast. In the 2025 CareScout survey, the former homemaker and home health aide categories merged into a single "non-medical caregiver" line at a national median of about $35 an hour, or roughly $80,080 a year at 44 hours of care a week.2 CareScout no longer publishes a Kansas-specific in-home figure, so we use the national median here; Kansas costs have historically tracked close to the national line. These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, and costs vary across the state and rise as care needs grow.

For many Kansas families, that is more than a fixed retirement income can absorb on its own. This is where Aid and Attendance comes in.

How VA Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for In-Home Care in Kansas

Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly VA pension for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities.4 It is paid as tax-free cash, which means the family decides how to spend it, including on a home health aide, a homemaker, or a family caregiver.

At up to $2,424 a month for a veteran, the benefit can cover a large share of in-home care in Kansas, and more when combined with the veteran's other income.1

How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

VA Pension, including the Aid and Attendance increase, is needs-based: the VA pays the difference between your countable income and a yearly limit set by Congress called the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR).1 The lower your countable income, the more the VA pays.

Here is the part families miss: continuing, unreimbursed medical expenses, including in-home care, lower your countable income when there is a documented care need. You can only deduct the portion of those expenses that exceeds 5% of your applicable MAPR. For 2026 that floor is $872 a year for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 a year for a veteran with one dependent.1

Think of it in annual terms. If a veteran with no dependents pays for in-home care, only the first $872 of that yearly cost is not deductible. Everything above that floor reduces countable income. With non-medical in-home care running about $80,080 a year at the national median,2 those costs can wipe out most or all of a veteran's countable income, which is exactly how someone whose income looked too high ends up qualifying.1

Who Qualifies

To be eligible for Aid and Attendance, the veteran must:4

• Have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period
• Be 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled
• Need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or feeding, or be largely confined to bed
• Have a net worth below $163,699 for 2026 (assets plus annual income, not counting the primary home)4

The VA also applies a 3-year look-back on assets transferred for less than fair market value.4 Surviving spouses of wartime veterans can qualify under the survivor pension.

Using Aid and Attendance to Pay a Family Caregiver

Many families want a son, daughter, or spouse to provide the care. Aid and Attendance is paid as cash, so it can be used to compensate a family caregiver directly.

There is also a separate VA program built for this. Veteran-Directed Care gives a veteran a flexible budget to hire their own caregivers, including family members, with help from an Aging and Disability Network agency and a financial management service that handles payroll.3 Unlike some Medicaid programs, Veteran-Directed Care has no blanket ban on hiring a spouse.3 Ask your VA medical center's social work team whether it is available in your area.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Kansas Medicaid

A Kansas senior can receive both VA pension with Aid and Attendance and Kansas Medicaid long-term care, branded KanCare and administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, but the two programs interact.5 For KanCare long-term-care eligibility, VA pension income is generally counted as income, except that the portion attributable to unreimbursed medical expenses, which typically includes the Aid and Attendance amount, is generally not counted toward the Medicaid income limit.5

Because the exact treatment can vary by case, a senior weighing both programs should confirm the specifics with a Kansas Office of Veterans Services representative and with KanCare.5

How to Apply and Get Free Help

Apply using VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), which includes a doctor's exam documenting the care need.6 If the veteran is not already receiving a VA pension, also file VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension).6 You can file online at va.gov, by mail, or through an accredited representative. Processing often takes 3 to 6 months.6

Do not do this alone. The Kansas Office of Veterans Services provides free, accredited help with VA pension and Aid and Attendance claims through Veteran Service Representatives in field offices statewide, and can be reached at 1-800-513-7731.7 Their help is free, and only VA-accredited representatives may lawfully prepare a VA claim.

Compare Care Settings in Kansas

Aid and Attendance can help pay for any care setting. See how it works for the others:

• How Aid and Attendance Pays for Assisted Living in Kansas
• How Aid and Attendance Pays for a Nursing Home in Kansas
• How Aid and Attendance Pays for Memory Care in Kansas

Learn More

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.