Veterans who have served our country have always been important to your country. Those of you who served in the military need to know all about the benefits they have.
We can help you learn how to use your VA benefits to make your home more comfortable, and a walk-in tub can be a great addition to making your life better.
Does the VA Pay for Walk-In Tubs?
The US Department of Veterans Affairs offers some grants and aids for financial assistance that can be used for the purchase and installation of the walk-in tub.
The Veteran Affairs offers three different house modification grants for disabled veterans:
- SAH-Specially Adapted Housing
- SHA-Special Home Adaptation
- HISA-Home improvements and structural alterations.
These grants provide assistance for the purchase and installation of a walk-in tub, and the HISA grant is the one that will probably help with the purchase and installation because it helps veterans with disabilities connected to military service.
Veterans with conditions not connected to military service and aging veterans are covered, and it also covers home improvement and modifications that are seen as important for a better quality of life.
When applying, the veteran still needs to provide a VA doctor’s prescription with a diagnosis and justification for purchasing a walk-in tub and a written estimate of the costs of the walk-in tub and its installation.
The VA reviews all the applications for the HISA grant and decides if it is eligible and how much the grant will be.
If the veteran is approved for the improvement or modification project, the grant goes directly to them, not the vendor.
Some approved HISA grants were for wheelchair ramps, lift devices, plumbing updates, central heating and cooling, hardwood floors, tub-to-shower conversion, widened doorways, fences for service dogs, and improvements to previous HISA-approved projects.
Some unapproved projects were constructing a new home, exterior decks, elevators, home security systems, and routine maintenance.
Then there’s the VD-HCBS program—Veterans Directed Home and Community Based Services—which is modeled after the Medicaid one. This means that it’s given a budget and some flexibility.
You spend it on your necessities as you see fit, so you can choose how to spend.
There are also pension aids for veterans or surviving spouses who have permanent disabilities and are housebound or in need of daily help with basic activities.
These aids have some limitations, but they can be used as long as they are for the beneficiary’s care. For example, if the beneficiary needs a walk-in tub to ease their life, it can be used to purchase and install it.
It can also be a reimbursed medical expense, i.e., deducted from income after an increased pension benefit is given to cover the cost of the tub.
What Are the Requirements for a VA-Approved Walk-In Tub?
The following conditions must be met by VA-approved walk-in baths, according to the Veterans Benefits Administration:
- Grab bars that can hold up to 250 pounds or more
- Faucets that can be accessed when in a wheelchair
- A transfer platform at least 18 inches long and the tub’s width.
- Unobstructed space of at least four feet alongside the tub
What Is a Veterans Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant?
A SAH Grant for Veterans gives financial support to assist you in modifying your house to meet your health requirements. I
If you own or will own a house and your qualifying disability is service-connected, you can apply for the VA SAH award as a veteran.
For the fiscal year 2022, the maximum amount is $101,754.
Although only 120 veterans are eligible for the SAH award each fiscal year, you may reapply if you do not get it.
What Is a Veterans’ Special Home Adaptation (SHA) Grant?
A SHA Grant for veterans may also help you adapt your house to accommodate impairments and make it more pleasant.
To be eligible for the SHA grant, you or a family member must own a house now or shortly and have a service-connected disability.
The maximum award amount for fiscal year 2022 is $20,387. It should be noted that if you qualify for an SAH or SHA grant, you are not required to use the whole amount during the fiscal year.
The rest of your grant may be used at a later date.
What is the Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant?
The HISA award assists veterans in funding any medical or structural improvements required to address eligible impairments.
Walk-in tubs for veterans, for example, are acceptable under HISA awards since the extra-wide door allows them more space to access and depart the tub. This is particularly beneficial for disabled veterans who want to better their living conditions.
HISA grants of up to $6,800 are available for service-connected situations or non-service conditions that are 50% or more service-connected.
If you have a non-service-related ailment, you may still apply for grant funding of up to $2,000 per year.
Walk-in tubs are rarely qualified as durable medical equipment, so most insurance options won’t cover them, but the VA is aware that they are needed to have control in life free from a caregiver.
It’s convenient for seniors and veterans to have a safe and comfortable domestic space with easy-to-reach utilities. But if you have special needs for a larger tub, we recommend seeing this post.
The walk-in tub helps with that feeling of independence; there’s no need for someone to help with the daily bathing routine.
If you are a veteran in need of a walk-in tub or care for one, reach for one of these aids and gain quality and independence. If you have Medicare or Medicaid, see how you can get one.
The walk-in tub helps people with some independence when it comes to being safe and comfortable during this part of the day.
Aging and disabled veterans or their spouses sometimes need some specialized and durable home medical equipment, such as a walk-in tub, to help with some at-home commodities and safety, but they may not be affordable.
