Six state veterans homes, from Erie to Philadelphia. A veteran rated 70% or higher who needs skilled nursing pays nothing. Others pay against ability to pay, roughly 80% of gross income where disposable assets are under $126,420.
Also called: veterans home, nursing home, skilled nursing, Hollidaysburg, Erie, Scranton, Spring City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, 70 percent.
Pennsylvania runs six state veterans homes, spread across the Commonwealth:
Hollidaysburg Veterans' Home, near Altoona in Duncansville, the largest of the six.
Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Erie, the oldest, open since 1886.
Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center in downtown Scranton.
Southeastern Veterans' Center in Spring City, along the Schuylkill.
Southwestern Veterans' Center, under ten miles from downtown Pittsburgh.
Delaware Valley Veterans' Home in northeast Philadelphia.
Eligibility turns on a residency rule that is easy to get wrong. An eligible veteran is someone who served in the armed forces of the United States or the Pennsylvania military forces and was discharged under honorable conditions, and whose home of record on entry into service was Pennsylvania. That is residence at the time of entry, not current residence. A spouse or surviving spouse of an eligible veteran may also be admitted.
Cost works on ability to pay rather than a flat rate. A resident makes monthly payments against a maintenance fee liability assessed on what they can afford. Where the veteran or spouse has under $126,420 in disposable assets, the cost of care runs at roughly 80 percent of gross income.
The exception is the one worth knowing. A resident with a service-connected disability rated 70 percent or greater who requires skilled nursing care pays nothing, because VA covers the full cost at that level. That threshold is the single largest financial fact in this entry, and a veteran close to 70 percent who is facing long-term care should understand what a successful increase would be worth.
Apply to the individual home rather than to a central office. The Department publishes a common application, but each home runs its own admissions and waiting list.
Pennsylvania has no state veterans cemetery system. Burial runs through the federal VA national cemeteries in the Commonwealth, principally Indiantown Gap National Cemetery at Annville, along with Philadelphia and Washington Crossing.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Pennsylvania State Veterans Homes
Gate
Rule
A rating of 70% or more means no cost
Admission does not require a rating. A resident with a service-connected disability rated 70 percent or greater who requires skilled nursing care pays nothing. Below that, a resident pays against ability to pay, roughly 80 percent of gross income where disposable assets are under $126,420.
Pennsylvania home of record at entry, and an honorable discharge
The gates are service in the armed forces of the United States or the Pennsylvania military forces, a discharge under honorable conditions, and Pennsylvania as the home of record on entry into service. A spouse or surviving spouse of an eligible veteran may also be admitted.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.