Community Living Centers provide long-term Care (nursing home care) to veterans who are not acutely ill and not in need of hospital care. VA will provide needed long-term care to any veteran whose service-connected (SC) disability medically requires such care or if they are 70 percent or more service connected. Veterans who are provided Long Term Care for a service connected disability, or who have a combined SC disability rating of 70 percent or more are not charged a copayment for long-term care services.  Whereas nonservice connected veterans and veterans with service connected disability ratings of 60% or less may be subject to VA LTC copayments decided by information collected on the 10-10EC (Extended Care Form; differing from the 10-10EZ Health Care Form). Veterans requiring long term care for a SC disability or who have a service connected rating at 70 percent or higher have mandatory eligibility and cannot be denied VA long term care.  If services are not available in the VA, VA must purchase such care through outside community providers. Additionally, veterans who fall in any of the following categories are eligible for VA long term care services and are not subject to a VA LTC copayment: for a disorder associated with exposure to a toxic substance or radiation, for a disorder associated with service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War, or for any illness associated with service in combat in a war after the Gulf War or during a period of hostility after November 11, 1998.

For information on VA's Long-Term Care program, you can access information at http://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/Guide/LongTermCare/index.asp

Authority: 38 CFR 17.111 - Copayments for extended care services, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/17.111.