If Dad needs nursing home care, a Wisconsin Veterans Home may take him, and you don't need to live in Wisconsin to apply. The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) runs or contracts for three Wisconsin Veterans Homes, at King, Union Grove and Chippewa Falls, which provide nursing home or intermediate care for veterans and certain qualifying relatives. WDVA says the homes have no Wisconsin residency requirement, so in-state and out-of-state applicants are both welcome.

In This Guide

What Is a Wisconsin Veterans Home?

A State Veterans Home is owned, operated and managed by a state government, not by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, though VA must formally recognize and certify each State Veterans Home and then surveys it every year to make sure it still meets VA standards. Each state sets its own eligibility and admission rules for its State Veterans Homes. Our national guide to State Veterans Homes shows how the program works in every state.

In Wisconsin, the state's veterans agency, WDVA, operates or contracts for the operation of the three Wisconsin Veterans Homes, and the nursing facilities at all three are licensed and regulated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and by VA. So a Wisconsin Veterans Home is a state home, not a VA hospital. If you're weighing it against a VA Community Living Center, our guide to VA nursing home care explains what VA runs itself, and our guide to VA benefits for senior care in Wisconsin covers the other VA and WDVA help a Wisconsin family can use.

Which Wisconsin Veterans Home Fits Your Family?

Pick the home your family can visit, then check that it offers the care your parent needs. The table pairs bed counts from Wisconsin's Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB, January 2025) with the care and phone numbers WDVA lists.

Home Where Licensed skilled nursing beds (LFB) Care listed by WDVA Phone
King Waupaca County, N2665 County Rd. QQ, King 397 Long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehab, respite stays, memory-care unit (715) 258-5586
Union Grove Racine County, 21425 G Spring St., Union Grove 158 Long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehab, respite stays, memory-care unit (262) 838-6700
Chippewa Falls 2175 E. Park Ave., Chippewa Falls 72 Long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehab (715) 720-6775

King is the oldest and largest. LFB says King has provided care since 1887, with its beds split between Moses Hall (192) and Ainsworth Hall (205), and WDVA's King page places the King memory care unit in Ainsworth Hall. Union Grove opened in 2001 and Chippewa Falls in 2013, according to LFB, and WDVA's brochure says Union Grove offers 158 private rooms and Chippewa Falls 72.

Chippewa Falls also differs in who runs the home day to day. LFB says DVA staff operate the King and Union Grove homes, while WDVA contracts out most of the operations at Chippewa Falls. If your parent has dementia, note that WDVA's Chippewa Falls page lists long-term skilled nursing and short-term rehab, while the King and Union Grove pages also list a memory-care unit, so ask the Chippewa Falls home directly before you choose it.

Who Can Get Into a Wisconsin Veterans Home?

Wisconsin dropped its residency rule more than a decade ago. WDVA's homes website says the requirement to be a Wisconsin resident when applying was eliminated on July 1, 2013.

For Wisconsin Veterans Home admission, WDVA counts someone as a veteran if they were discharged under honorable conditions and either:

  • served on active duty in peacetime for two or more years, or for the full period of their initial obligation; or
  • served on active duty for at least 90 days, with one day during a wartime period.

WDVA says spouses of veterans and parents of veterans killed while on active duty are also eligible to apply. That fits the national picture: VA says some State Veterans Homes admit non-veteran spouses and Gold Star parents, while others admit only veterans.

The order WDVA fills beds in

WDVA processes applications in four priority groups:

  1. Veterans.
  2. Spouses of veterans.
  3. Spouses of deceased veterans.
  4. Parents of veterans who were killed while on active duty.

Within each group, WDVA puts applicants who have lived in Wisconsin for more than six continuous months ahead of Wisconsin residents of six months or less, and both ahead of out-of-state applicants. LFB says exceptions to the Wisconsin Veterans Home admission priorities may be made so a husband and wife aren't separated.

The limit a widow needs to know about

One Wisconsin rule matters most to a widow or widower. According to LFB, a surviving spouse or a parent of a veteran is admitted to a Wisconsin Veterans Home only if overall occupancy falls below an optimal level, as determined by the Board of Veterans Affairs. If Mom is a widow applying on her own, call the home's admissions office and ask whether it is currently admitting surviving spouses.

The other conditions every applicant must meet

Service history is only the first step. LFB says an applicant for admission must also show that he or she:

  • is permanently unable to work at any substantially gainful occupation because of physical disability or age;
  • has not been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude;
  • has not been diagnosed with certain chronic ailments, unless the home can care for the person;
  • provides a financial statement; and
  • has care needs the home can meet.

What Does a Wisconsin Veterans Home Cost?

A Wisconsin Veterans Home isn't free, and what your family pays depends on how the stay is funded. The Wisconsin Veterans Homes are paid for from five sources, LFB says: Wisconsin's Medical Assistance (MA) program, member payments, VA per diem payments, VA service-connected disability payments and Medicare.

If your parent pays privately

Paying privately means a daily rate that resets each year, so plan for the bill to change. A Wisconsin Veterans Home resident who isn't on MA pays a daily private pay rate that varies by home and by level of care, according to LFB. The Wisconsin Veterans Homes set their daily private pay rates every January from estimated costs for the coming year, and WDVA may update the rates in July, under Wisconsin's administrative code, VA 6.01(16). We don't print dollar figures here; ask the admissions office at the home you're considering for this year's daily rate at your parent's level of care.

Two rules shape that bill. A veteran's private pay rate at a Wisconsin Veterans Home is discounted to account for the VA per diem the home receives for veteran members, LFB says. Under VA's State Veterans Home per diem, VA pays the state for each eligible veteran at the lesser of one-half of the daily cost of care or the basic per diem rate VA sets each fiscal year, and federal law caps VA's per diem at half the cost of that veteran's care.

The second rule is the one couples miss. Because a Wisconsin Veterans Home gets no VA per diem for a veteran's spouse, LFB says the spouse pays a higher, undiscounted private pay rate. VA confirms that it doesn't pay a State Veterans Home for the care of non-veterans. If both parents plan to move in, ask the home to quote the two daily rates separately.

If your parent qualifies for Medical Assistance

On MA, your parent's own monthly income still goes to the home first, and MA pays only what is left. Wisconsin's MA program requires a beneficiary in nursing home care, including at a Wisconsin Veterans Home, to use his or her income, including a VA pension and Social Security benefits, to offset the cost of care, minus certain allowances for personal expenses, health insurance premiums and other costs, and MA is billed only for the net cost, according to LFB.

Many residents are in the same position. As of September 2024, Wisconsin's MA program was the primary payment source for nursing services for 51% of residents at the three Wisconsin Veterans Homes, according to LFB, with VA service-connected disability payments at 42%, private pay at 6% and Medicare at 1%. Our guide to Wisconsin Medicaid and nursing home care explains how that eligibility works.

Expect the application to ask about money. WDVA's Wisconsin Veterans Home application (WDVA 4000) says its financial questions determine eligibility for benefits and ability to pay, and it asks whether any property was sold or transferred, or a joint tenancy set up, in the past 60 months.

Medicare and VA pension money

Medicare won't carry a long stay at a Wisconsin Veterans Home. LFB says long-term care costs aren't eligible for Medicare reimbursement, so most Medicare payments to the Wisconsin Veterans Homes are for short-term rehabilitative care. Our guide to Aid and Attendance for a nursing home in Wisconsin explains how VA's Aid and Attendance pension works alongside nursing home costs.

When Does VA Pay for Nursing Care in Full?

For some veterans, the nursing care bill at a State Veterans Home can be zero. VA contracts with each State Veterans Home to pay for the nursing home care of three groups of veterans:

  • under 38 U.S.C. 1745, a veteran who needs nursing home care for a service-connected disability (38 CFR 51.41 says a VA adjudicated one);
  • under 38 U.S.C. 1745, a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 70 percent or more who needs nursing home care;
  • under VA's regulation, 38 CFR 51.41, a veteran with a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) who needs nursing home care.

For a veteran who needs State Veterans Home nursing care and needs it for a service-connected disability or is rated 70 percent or more (38 U.S.C. 1745), or has TDIU (38 CFR 51.41), VA's payment is payment in full to the State Veterans Home, and under a State home care agreement the home may not charge the veteran, an insurer or anyone else besides VA for the nursing home care VA paid for.

This applies in Wisconsin. LFB says VA pays for nursing home care at the Wisconsin Veterans Homes for a veteran who needs care for a service-connected disability, or who has at least a 70% service-connected disability and needs nursing home care, at rates set by agreements VA makes with each home. Bring the veteran's VA award letter: WDVA's admission checklist asks for the service-connected disability award letter from VA.

A pending claim is worth pushing. Under 38 CFR 51.41, when a veteran receives a retroactive service-connected rating that makes the veteran eligible for VA's full nursing-home payment (a service-connected need, a 70 percent or higher rating, or TDIU), the State home can request payment under its State home care agreement back to the rating's effective date or February 2, 2013, whichever is later.

How to Apply to a Wisconsin Veterans Home

WDVA's Wisconsin Veterans Homes website says to start with the Admissions Inquiry form, then apply on form WDVA 4000, with form WDVA 4006 listing what else to send.

1
Step 1

Send the inquiry

Fill in the Admissions Inquiry form on the website of the home you want.

2
Step 2

Complete WDVA 4000

On the application, choose a preferred home (Chippewa Falls, King or Union Grove), an admission type (respite, skilled rehab, long-term or pre-registration) and an eligibility category (veteran, veteran spouse, widowed spouse or Gold Star parent).

3
Step 3

Gather the WDVA 4006 documents

Collect copies of everything on WDVA's Applicant Admission Checklist that applies to your parent (list below).

4
Step 4

Wait for the commandant's decision

Under Wisconsin's administrative code, VA 6.01, a person can't be admitted to a Wisconsin Veterans Home until the home's commandant approves the application, though a person may be admitted conditionally while it is processed.

WDVA's Applicant Admission Checklist (WDVA 4006) asks for copies of these documents with the application:

  • WDVA 4044, the pre-admission authorization for disclosure of health information;
  • the veteran's DD214 or similar discharge papers, showing an honorable discharge, which you can get through the County Veterans Service Office (CVSO) in the veteran's county;
  • the service-connected disability award letter from VA, if the veteran has one;
  • the applicant's birth certificate or other acceptable proof of birth;
  • the front and back of every health insurance card;
  • a certified marriage certificate, if the applicant is a spouse or surviving spouse;
  • a certified copy of the veteran's death certificate, if the applicant is a surviving spouse.

If they're already done, WDVA also asks for a health care power of attorney, a financial power of attorney, a statement of incapacity, a living will or trust, and any guardianship or protective placement court orders. Under VA 6.01, the applicant must also give a complete financial statement and a physician's report of a physical examination, and must authorize a criminal background check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does signing the Wisconsin Veterans Home application commit our family to anything?

It does once your parent moves in. Under Wisconsin's administrative code, VA 6.01, the completed application becomes a valid and binding contract between the member and the Wisconsin Veterans Home upon admission. Read the financial pages carefully before you sign, and keep a copy.

What if WDVA says my father isn't eligible for a Wisconsin Veterans Home?

You can ask for a second look. Under Wisconsin's administrative code, VA 6.01, if the applicant or the county veterans service officer requests a review of a Wisconsin Veterans Home ineligibility decision, the matter is referred to the WDVA secretary for review. A CVSO is a good ally here, and WDVA's checklist says the veteran's discharge papers can be obtained through the CVSO in the veteran's county.

Can a Wisconsin Veterans Home turn down an eligible veteran?

Yes, if the home can't meet the veteran's needs. Under VA 6.01, WDVA may defer or deny admission when the commandant decides the Wisconsin Veterans Home is unable to provide appropriate care to the applicant. If one home says no for that reason, ask whether another of the three can provide the care.

Learn More

VA BenefitsState Veterans Homes: Who Gets In, What It Costs, and How to ApplyState 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 Benefits You Can Use for Senior Care in WisconsinVA senior care benefits in Wisconsin can pay for home care, nursing homes, and monthly Aid and Attendance cash. See every program and how to access it in 2026. VA BenefitsHow VA Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for a Nursing Home in WisconsinHow VA Aid and Attendance helps pay for a Wisconsin nursing home in 2026: 2026 rates, the medical-expense deduction, the $90 Medicaid cap, and how to apply. MedicaidWisconsin Medicaid and Nursing Home Care: Coverage, Costs, and EligibilityHow Wisconsin Medicaid pays for nursing home care in 2026: eligibility, the asset limit, spend-down, higher spousal protections, and estate recovery. VA BenefitsVA Nursing Homes and Community Living Centers: Who Qualifies and What the VA PaysVA community living centers, contracted nursing homes, and state veterans homes: who VA must cover, what the 70% rule means, 21 free days, and the daily copay. VA BenefitsVA Long-Term Care Copays: What Families Pay and Who Pays NothingThe first 21 days are free. After that, the VA long-term care copay is up to $97 a day for a nursing home stay, and some veterans owe nothing. Who is exempt.

Find personalized help choosing and applying to a Wisconsin 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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