VA Benefits You Can Use for Senior Care in Maryland

Aid and Attendance can add up to $2,424 a month, and it is only one of six VA programs that help pay for senior care in Maryland.1 If your loved one is a veteran, the hard part usually isn't qualifying. It's knowing what to ask for.

Arranging care while a parent's needs are escalating is stressful enough without decoding a benefits system on top of it. This guide covers every VA program that helps pay for or provide senior care, how to access each one in Maryland, and what happens when VA care isn't enough on its own.

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• VA Long-Term Care Benefits for Maryland Seniors
• Charlotte Hall Veterans Home
• Aid and Attendance
• Veteran-Directed Care
• Community Care (MISSION Act)
• How VA Senior Care Benefits Work with Medicare and Medicaid in Maryland
• How to Get Started
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Next Steps

VA Long-Term Care Benefits for Maryland Seniors

The VA offers multiple long-term care programs. Eligibility for each depends on the veteran's enrollment priority group, service-connected disabilities, and clinical need.2

Here is how that gate works in practice. Once a veteran enrolls, the VA assigns them to 1 of 8 priority groups based on service history, disability rating, income, and Medicaid status.6 A veteran with a service-connected disability rated 50% or higher lands in Priority Group 1 and generally pays no copays, while other enrolled veterans can still access many of these programs depending on their group, a clinician's judgment that the care is needed, and local availability.6 Maryland veterans access these programs through the VA Maryland Health Care System.

Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)

A VA physician supervises a health care team that visits the veteran at home.2 HBPC is designed for veterans with complex medical needs who have difficulty getting to a clinic regularly. The team typically includes a doctor, nurse, social worker, and may include rehabilitation therapists and a dietitian.

This isn't the same as home health care through Medicare. HBPC provides ongoing, coordinated primary care at home, not just short-term skilled visits. For veterans who qualify, it's one of the best programs the VA offers.

Adult Day Health Care

Veterans attend a structured daytime program that provides health monitoring, social activities, rehabilitation services, and meals.2 It also gives family caregivers reliable daytime respite. Programs may be at VA facilities or contracted community adult day centers.

Community Living Centers (VA Nursing Homes)

Community Living Centers are VA-run nursing homes providing full nursing facility care, including help with daily activities and skilled nursing.2 They are located at and near larger VA medical centers. Maryland veterans can access CLC care through the VA Maryland Health Care System.

CLCs serve veterans who need short-term rehabilitation (after surgery or hospitalization), long-term nursing care, hospice care, or respite care.

Community Nursing Home Program

The VA contracts with community (non-VA) nursing homes to provide care for veterans who need nursing home services but live far from a CLC or when CLC beds aren't available.2 The VA covers the cost for eligible veterans. This option matters in Maryland, where the VA's own nursing beds sit near Baltimore and Perry Point and a veteran on the Eastern Shore or in Western Maryland may be hours away. To request it, ask the veteran's VA social worker or the VA Maryland Health Care System's geriatrics and extended care team to arrange a placement close to home.2

Respite Care

Through its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, the VA provides eligible primary family caregivers at least 30 days of respite care per year.7 Respite can be in-home, where a substitute caregiver comes to the house or the veteran attends an adult day health program, or facility-based, where the veteran stays temporarily in a Community Living Center or community nursing home (nursing home respite is capped at 30 days per calendar year). All enrolled veterans are eligible if they meet the clinical criteria, though services vary by location and availability. Contact the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.7

Charlotte Hall Veterans Home

Maryland operates one State Veterans Home, the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, on a 126-acre campus in Charlotte Hall, in St. Mary's County.3 It is overseen by the Maryland Department of Veterans & Military Families (MDVMF) and has been in operation since 1985.

Charlotte Hall offers a continuum of care: a 126-bed assisted living program and a 318-bed skilled nursing program, which includes memory care provided in secure units and a 16-bed Women's Unit.3

To be eligible, an applicant must generally be a Maryland resident who served on full-time active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, was discharged under honorable conditions, and is at least 62 years of age or deemed disabled by the Social Security Administration or VA.3 Certain reserve-component members who meet residency requirements, and certain non-veteran spouses of eligible veterans (assisted living only), may also be admitted.

Cost is based on the resident's resources. Assisted living residents generally pay a percentage of their monthly net income, while skilled nursing costs depend on personal resources, long-term care insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid eligibility.3 A veteran rated 70% or more service-connected may be entitled to fully covered nursing home care. To apply, contact Charlotte Hall's Veterans Service Officer at 301-884-8171 ext. 5112.3

VA Aid and Attendance

The Aid and Attendance pension is a monthly cash benefit for veterans (or surviving spouses) who need help with daily activities.1

2026 Rates

These are the maximum monthly rates for the December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 period; a veteran's actual payment can be lower depending on countable income.1

Who Qualifies

To be eligible, the veteran must have:8

• Served during a wartime period (at least 90 days of active duty with at least 1 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 bedridden or in a nursing home due to incapacity
• Have a net worth below $163,699 for the December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 period (including assets and annual income, not counting the primary home)8

The VA enforces a 3-year look-back period on asset transfers for less than fair market value, with a penalty period that can run up to 5 years.8

How to Apply

Apply using VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) and Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension).9 Forms can be submitted online, mailed, or filed through an accredited representative. Processing often takes several months or longer.9

Here is why most families work with an accredited specialist rather than filing alone: the Maryland Department of Veterans & Military Families provides free, accredited help with VA claims, and its specialists know the documentation that keeps a claim from stalling.5

For the full application walkthrough, see our VA Aid and Attendance guide.

Veteran-Directed Care

The Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) program gives veterans a flexible budget to hire their own caregivers, including family members.10 The veteran (or their representative) decides who provides care, what services to purchase, and how to manage the budget.

Unlike Medicaid consumer-directed programs, VDC has no blanket prohibition on hiring a spouse.10 A person-centered options counselor at an Aging and Disability Network Agency, such as a local Area Agency on Aging, assesses the veteran's care needs and helps set the size of the budget, and a financial management services provider then handles payroll and the employer responsibilities of hiring workers.10 All enrolled veterans qualify if they are eligible for community care, meet the clinical criteria for the service, and it is available in their area.10

To start VDC in Maryland, ask the veteran's VA Maryland Health Care System social worker or geriatrics and extended care team whether the program is offered locally; if it is, they connect the family with the options counselor and financial management provider who set up the budget.10

Community Care Through the MISSION Act

The MISSION Act (2018) expanded when veterans can receive care from community (non-VA) providers.4 You may be eligible for community care if:

• The VA can't offer an appointment within 20 days (primary care/mental health) or 28 days (specialty care)
• The drive to a VA facility exceeds 30 minutes (primary care) or 60 minutes (specialty care)
• The care you need isn't available at your VA facility
• Community care is in your best medical interest

In May 2025, the VA streamlined the "best medical interest" pathway under the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (the "Dole Act," enacted 2025), removing a second-VA-doctor review step and giving eligible veterans faster access to community care.4

This matters most for Maryland veterans outside the Baltimore and Perry Point corridor. A veteran on the Eastern Shore or in far Western Maryland can easily exceed the 30-minute primary-care or 60-minute specialty-care drive-time standard, and when they do, the MISSION Act can be the difference between getting timely care and waiting months.4

How VA Senior Care Benefits Work with Medicare and Medicaid in Maryland

VA benefits don't replace Medicare or Medicaid. They work alongside them.

• VA + Medicare: Many veterans use both. Medicare covers care from non-VA providers, while VA covers care at VA facilities. You can't bill both for the same service, but having both gives you more options.
• VA + Medicaid: VA pension with Aid and Attendance and Maryland Medicaid long-term services and supports are separate programs with different income and asset tests.11 Under general federal rules, when a state Medicaid program counts income, the VA pension is treated as income except for the portion attributable to unreimbursed medical expenses (and, where applicable, the Aid and Attendance amount), which is excluded. The precise treatment depends on the specific Medicaid category and how Maryland applies the rules to an individual's situation.11
• Charlotte Hall Veterans Home weighs Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, and personal resources when setting skilled nursing costs, so these payment sources can layer together.3

Because the programs use different rules, confirm the exact effect on benefits with the Maryland Medicaid program (Maryland Health Connection or a local Department of Social Services) or an accredited benefits counselor before relying on it.11

How to Get Started

Next Steps

If you're caring for a veteran who needs help, start by calling the Maryland Department of Veterans & Military Families at 800-446-4926 ext. 6450.5 They can assess which benefits apply and help you file.

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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.