An Act relating to eligibility of certain veterans for longevity bonus payments; and providing for an effective date.

Updated: March 29, 2000 by Marie Cook, Staff Aide to Senator Loren Leman.

Senate Bill 247 restores the eligibility of certain veterans who are being cared for in nursing homes to receive longevity bonus payments.

Under AS 47.45.070, a person who resides in a nursing home can receive the longevity bonus only if "the costs of care of the person at the nursing home are paid for entirely from private sources." As a result, persons living in nursing homes receiving veterans' benefits are denied longevity bonus payments. Veterans' benefits are federal benefits earned by those who have served our country in the armed forces. It is not fair to include veterans' benefits in the same category as needs-based state benefits such as Medicaid, the receipt of which disqualifies a nursing home patient from receiving longevity bonus payments.

SB 247 amends the eligibility criteria for nursing home patients, to allow the cost of care to be paid for from private sources, veterans' benefits, or a combination of private sources and veterans' benefits. Those veterans disqualified under the existing statute will be permitted to reapply for qualification for bonus payments beginning July 1, 2000. Eligible veterans who reapply will receive the longevity monthly bonus that they would have received had they not been disqualified. The longevity bonus payments are prospective from the time of re-qualification.

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