March 25th 2026
By Ari Parker
Find out how much the VA pays for in-home care for veterans. Learn about coverage amounts, eligibility requirements, available programs, and how to apply for VA home care benefits.
The Department of Veteran Affairs, or VA, operates the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. In 2023, approximately nine million veterans were enrolled with the VA, and an estimated half of them were over the age of 65.
Understanding how to make the most of your VA benefits can improve your health and quality of life, particularly if you’re aging-in-place and looking for in-home care.
Thankfully, the VA offers a range of in-home care services, including home healthcare aids and home based primary care. But how much the VA pays for in-home care will vary depending on your status with the organization, but many enrollees receive services free-of-charge.
In this article, we’ll explain the details of each VA in-home care program and how much the VA will pay for your in-home care.
The VA offers several in-home care programs to support veterans’ health and wellbeing at home.
Many veterans receive this in-home care for free, though others may have to pay a copayment for the service, depending on their status with the VA.
If you think in-home care is right for you, reach out to your VA social worker to learn more about your options and how much the VA will pay for your in-home care.
The VA offers several in-home services for enrolled and eligible veterans. Depending on the program, you may need to meet certain clinical criteria in order to qualify for the service. A copay may also be charged depending on your VA status.
The VA’s homemaker and home health aide care program offers support for veterans who need in-home help with personal care and daily activities.
This program provides a trained individual who comes to the veteran’s home to support them with daily tasks, including:
Eating
Bathing and grooming
Getting dressed
Toileting
Grocery shopping
Importantly, a homemaker and home health aide is not a nurse or medical professional, but they are often supervised by registered nurses who can help assess your needs.
If you’re transitioning from a hospital or nursing home back to your own home, the VA’s skilled home health care program can match you with a skilled professional so that you can continue to meet your ongoing medical needs.
Depending on your circumstances, the program will match you with the appropriate professional, such as:
Skilled nurse
Physical therapist
Occupational therapist
Speech therapist
Social worker
The VA’s home based primary care (HBPC) program provides an interdisciplinary team of specialists who deliver primary care to the veteran in their home.
Veterans who use the HBPC program are often individuals with very complex medical needs who are unable to travel back-and-forth from their home to the VA Medical Center, whether because of a cognitive impairment, a physical disability, or the severity of their illness.
Examples of experienced healthcare professionals who visit the veteran’s home as part of HBPC program include:
Physicians
Nurse practitioners
Dietitians
Pharmacists
Recreational therapists
Occupational therapists
Psychologists
Social workers
In many cases, you must live within a 30-45 mile radius of the nearest VA Medical Center in order to qualify for this program.
The veteran-directed care program offers similar benefits to the homemaker and home health aide care program, except that the veteran is able to hire their own caretakers (which can include a family member, friend, or neighbor) to help with the tasks of daily living.
Veterans enrolled in the VA may qualify for in-home care if they’re eligible for community care according to the VA’s guidelines as well as meet the clinical criteria for the specific service.
The VA will cover the cost of the above in-home care services, unless a copay charge is required depending on your VA status.
If you’re unsure which home care service, if any, is right for you, you can reach out to your VA social worker to discuss your options. You can also consult the VA’s Making Decisions page to learn more about identifying your healthcare priorities.
Your social worker can also help you determine whether or not you’re eligible to receive these services for free or if you'll have to pay a copayment.
To learn more about all of the VA’s home and community based services, visit this page.
The VA offers a range of in-home services designed to support veteran health and quality of life at home.
How much the VA pays for your in-home care will vary depending on your VA status, but many enrollees receive their in-home service for free or for a small copayment amount.
To learn about your in-home care options as a veteran registered with the VA, reach out to your case manager or VA social worker for more information.
Trilogy Federal, LLC & Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis (OSPA), VHA Chief Strategy Office, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans of Affairs (VA). (2023). 2023 Survey of Veteran enrollees’ health and use of health care. https://www.va.gov/VHASTRATEGY/SOE2023/2023_Survey_of_Veteran_Enrollees_Health_and_Use_of_Health_Care_Main_Results_Report.pdf
Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care | Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Homemaker_and_Home_Health_Aide_Care.asp
Skilled Home Health Care | Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-c). https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Skilled_Home_Health_Care.asp
Home Based Primary Care | Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-d). https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Home_Based_Primary_Care.asp
Veteran-Directed Care | Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-e) https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/pages/Veteran-Directed_Care.asp
