What You Need to Know About Aid and Attendance

Sponsored with the Massachusetts Chapter of NAELA

Date: Friday, November 20, 2009

Location: Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont St., Boston, MA
Time: 09:00 AM - 04:30 PM

Veteran Administration benefits are crucial to long term care planning if you are counseling someone in the community. Veterans or widows/ers of deceased veterans must know if they are eligible for Veterans benefits under the Aid & Attendance (A&A) program. The A&A benefit helps clients afford to live at home with caregivers, including family members who might have to give up their jobs to provide care, as well as to offset the high cost of assisted living facilities. Because the VA eligibility rules are somewhat similar, but differ in some important ways from Medicaid eligibility rules, proper counseling can prevent clients from unknowingly creating disqualifications for later Medicaid eligibility. This program will discuss methods to incorporate a discussion of possible VA benefit program eligibility when advising and counseling clients and their families about available governmental benefits. Attorneys may be paid for counseling clients about VA benefits just as they may be paid for Medicaid and long term care planning. In addition, VA rules allow payment for legal fees for services rendered after an initial VA decision has been made on an application.

The knowledgeable faculty features nationally renowned VA expert Karen McIntyre of Veterans Information Services, regional VA representative Sara Norton, as well as prominent members of Massachusetts NAELA.

This program meets all requirements for CLE accreditation of the VA. If you are an elder law attorney, you must have at least a passing knowledge of VA benefits that may be available to your clients and their spouses.

• The difference between Service Connected Compensation versus Non-Service Related Pension
• What are the criteria for eligibility and how to calculate benefits
• What is an “Un-reimbursed Medical Expense”
• What are the permissible asset limits
• How to navigate the application process including practical hints and pitfalls
• How transfers affect eligibility for both VA benefits and Medical Planning techniques
• How to complete an Aid and Attendance application

---

Accreditation

If you are not already accredited, it is highly suggested that you submit VA Form 21a to the VA Office of General Counsel at least four to six weeks before this program so that you can take advantage of the three CLE hours being offered to all accredited attorneys/agents in attendance. Please note that each accredited attorney/agent must complete the mandatory CLE requirements of 3 hours within one year of becoming accredited, 3 hours within the next three years of accreditation and 3 hours every two years thereafter. This is an excellent opportunity for you to receive these hours of CLE. Form VA 21a

---

LexisNexis Materials

Attend this conference and receive a 25% discount as follows:
Veteran’s Benefits Manual: $101.25
Federal Veterans Law, Rules & Regulation: $44.25
CD-Rom: $149.25
Both Books: $126.00
Both Books & CD-Rom: $202.50

At the conference, you will have the opportunity to take a look at the books; if you’re interested, you will receive a card offering you a 25% discount. You will then be given instructions on how to obtain them using your card.