Turning 65 as a Veteran: Medicare, TRICARE For Life, VA Pension and Long-Term Care

Last verified: October 2026 · Part of our "Benefits by Life Situation" series

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal, financial, insurance or medical advice, and it is not advice about any VA claim. We are an independent site and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Medicare, TRICARE or any state agency. Rates change every year. Always confirm with the official source linked next to each fact.

The short version

• Medicare and VA health care are separate programs. VA encourages veterans to sign up for Medicare at 65 anyway.
• Military retirees: TRICARE For Life requires Medicare Part A and Part B.
• Wartime veterans with limited income may qualify for VA Pension, and possibly Aid & Attendance or Housebound payments on top of it.
• State Veterans Homes are run by states, and each state sets its own admission rules.

Part 1: Medicare and VA health care

⏰ Your Medicare sign-up window

Medicare's Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months: it starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it (Medicare.gov: when coverage starts).

If you miss it, the General Enrollment Period runs Jan 1–Mar 31 each year, and you may owe a late penalty (same page).

The Part B late penalty

Medicare says you'll pay "an extra 10% for each year you could have signed up for Part B, but didn't." For most people, it lasts as long as they have Part B. The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 (Medicare.gov: avoid late penalties).

What VA says about Medicare

• VA answers its own question, "If I already have VA health care benefits, should I still sign up for Medicare when I turn 65?", with: "Yes. We encourage you to sign up for Medicare as soon as you can." One reason VA gives: Medicare covers you at non-VA hospitals and doctors.
• VA notes it doesn't bill Medicare or Medicaid, but may bill Medicare supplemental insurance for covered services.
• If you cancel Part B, "you won't be able to get it back until January of the following year," and you may owe a penalty.
• Source for all three points: VA: VA health care and other insurance.
• Report other insurance to VA with Form 10-10EZR (VA: update health information).

This is general information. Whether Medicare fits your situation is worth a free conversation with a SHIP counselor (see below).

Part 2: Military retirees: TRICARE For Life

Per TRICARE (TRICARE For Life):

• TFL is Medicare-wraparound coverage for TRICARE-eligible people who have both Medicare Part A and Part B.
• It's automatic once both are in effect, starting the first day both are active.
• There's no TFL enrollment fee, but you pay Medicare Part B premiums.
• TRICARE says TFL "coverage doesn't extend to family members."
• TRICARE's policy manual adds that TRICARE beneficiaries eligible for premium-free Part A "generally must have Medicare Part B to remain TRICARE eligible" (TRICARE Policy Manual).
• Medicare lists a special enrollment period for people with TRICARE (Medicare.gov).

Part 3: VA Pension (for wartime veterans)

Who may qualify

Per VA (VA: pension eligibility):

• You didn't receive a dishonorable discharge.
• Your yearly family income and net worth are within limits Congress sets.
• You meet the wartime service rules on VA's page.
• At least one of these is true:
  • You're at least 65
  • You have a permanent and total disability
  • You're in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability
  • You get SSDI or SSI

2026 numbers (rates reset each Dec 1)

From VA: pension rates, for Dec 1, 2025 – Nov 30, 2026:

• Net worth limit: $163,699
• Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR), veteran with no dependents:

• With one dependent (same page): $22,839 basic / $26,710 Housebound / $34,488 Aid & Attendance.

VA bases your payment on the difference between your countable income and the MAPR (same page). Rates shown are effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 (VA: pension rates). VA updates them each December 1.

Aid & Attendance and Housebound

These are added to a VA pension for qualified veterans and survivors (VA: Aid & Attendance and Housebound).

• Aid & Attendance may apply if you need help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing; spend much of the day in bed due to illness; are in a nursing home due to lost mental or physical abilities; or have severely limited eyesight.
• Housebound may apply if you spend most of your time at home because of a permanent disability.
• You can't get both at the same time.
• Forms: VA Form 21-2680 (completed with a medical examiner). If you're in a nursing home, also VA Form 21-0779.
• Source: same VA page.

If you're in a Medicaid-covered nursing home

For a pensioner with no dependents in a Medicaid-covered nursing facility, VA may pay $90 a month, and VA says "your facility can't count this monthly payment as income toward your cost of care" (VA: $90 pension rate). The $90 limit depends on whether Medicaid is paying for your nursing home care, not on the type of facility; the regulation doesn't carve out State Veterans Homes (38 CFR 3.551(i)). If you're in a State Veterans Home, ask the home and VA whether Medicaid covers your stay.

Watch out for pension "planners." Some businesses market paid pension planning. Free help is available from accredited VSO representatives. Check anyone's accreditation with VA (see "Get individual help").

Part 4: Long-term care: State Veterans Homes

Per VA (VA Geriatrics: State Veterans Home Program):

• State Veterans Homes provide nursing home, domiciliary or adult day care.
• They "are owned and operated by state governments. Each state establishes eligibility and admission criteria for its homes, and some State Veterans Homes may admit non-Veteran spouses and gold star parents."
• VA certifies them and surveys them every year, but "VA does not manage State Veterans Homes."
• VA's page lists 177 State Veterans Homes as of June 1, 2026, and points to the National Association of State Veterans Homes directory to find locations.

VA also notes that a VA social worker can help you find a home and make arrangements (VA: State Veterans Homes).

State example: Washington's veterans department says State Veterans Home nursing care is available "at no cost" for veterans at 70% or higher, because VA pays the full cost (WDVA benefits by percentage). Check your own state's rules.

Other state benefits that matter at 65

• Property tax: some states add age-based relief. Florida offers a homestead discount for partially or totally disabled veterans aged 65+ with combat-related disabilities (FL PT-109). Washington's income-based exemption also covers seniors (WA DOR).
• Retirement income tax: Georgia allows up to $65,000 of retirement income exclusion at 65+ (GDVS Resource Guide).

✅ Turning-65 checklist

• ☐ Mark your 7-month Medicare window on the calendar
• ☐ Retirees: make sure Part A and Part B will be in place for TRICARE For Life
• ☐ Tell VA about your Medicare coverage (Form 10-10EZR)
• ☐ Wartime veteran with limited income? Read VA's pension eligibility page
• ☐ Need daily help? Ask about Aid & Attendance or Housebound
• ☐ Planning ahead for long-term care? Look up your state's Veterans Homes
• ☐ Book a free SHIP Medicare counseling session

Free Medicare counseling (SHIP)

State Health Insurance Assistance Programs offer free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Find yours at shiphelp.org or call 877-839-2675.

Get individual help (free, accredited)

This guide is general information. For help with anything about your own VA benefits or claims, talk to someone accredited by VA.

• Find a VA-accredited representative or Veterans Service Organization (VSO). VSO representatives help for free. VA's official page explains your options and links to its accreditation search (VA: get help from an accredited representative or VSO).
• Check that anyone helping you is accredited. VA's Office of General Counsel explains that without accreditation, a person "may not independently assist claimants in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits" (VA OGC: Accreditation FAQs).
• Your state's veterans affairs department (directory via NASDVA) can explain state benefits and point you to local help.

We do not help with VA claims, ratings or appeals, and we never charge veterans for information.

Keep going

• Guide 1: Moving to a New State : moving closer to family
• Guide 2: Buying a Home : property tax relief
• Guide 3: Kids, Spouse & College
• Guide 4: Separating / Transitioning From Service
• State Benefit Change Tracker

Last verified: October 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us (placeholder).