WatchThis article discusses how veterans are waiting years to receive disability benefits because the VA can't get its shit together when it comes to awarding benefits. They're going broke trying to pay for medical care and - well, you know... Life.
It doesn't mention Aid & Attendance, which is a program that assists Veterans or their widowed spouses with $1,700 (vet) & $1,100 (widow) if they require assistance with their activites of daily living. The waiting list is over a year long - by the time the benefits are awarded, the person most likely will have been admitted to a nursing home. If his room & board is paid via the Medicaid benefit, the above amount drops to $90/month instead.
There are few social programs available to cover assistance in the home, and those that do often have long waiting lists as well. With the cost of in-home care skyrocketing, it would be much smarter to pay a little now than a lot later. Obviously, the burecrats disagree.
IMHO, the delaying tactics of the VA help to save their budget millions of dollars each year. Unfortunately, the Medicaid program will be paying $6,000+ for the patient's room & board in the nursing home - but that's not the VA's problem, is it?