housingstate

State Veterans Homes — 90 Days of Service, and 70% Covers the Bill

Four homes. Ninety days of active duty, an honorable discharge and Idaho residency at admission get you in; a service-connected rating of 70% or higher gets the cost of nursing care covered by the VA.

Verified August 22, 2026

What this benefit is

What it's worth: Nursing care from $343.46 a day — or covered outright at a 70% rating

Rates effective 1 July 2026, semi-private rooms: veteran nursing care $375.79 a day at Boise, $345.96 at Lewiston, $343.46 at Pocatello.
Eligible non-veteran spouses pay $414.07 a day at Boise, Lewiston and Pocatello alike — that figure already includes the current VA per diem rate.
Post Falls is private rooms only, at $441.18 a day for a veteran and an eligible non-veteran spouse alike.
All figures include medical supplies, plus other ancillary and special items and service charges.
The division states that veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher are eligible to have the cost of nursing care covered by the VA, and that other ratings may be covered in rare circumstances.
Charges are due the first of each month and must be paid in full by the resident or guardian on or before the 10th.

Who is entitled to it

Applicants must be a veteran, or the spouse, widow or widower of a veteran eligible for admission.
Honorable service is what the application asks for.
Your home is in this state.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

Deadline: Charges due the 10th of each month

1Use the current application — the version effective 1 July 2026 — and pick the home: Boise, Lewiston, Pocatello or Post Falls.
2Prove the service: DD214 or military discharge showing a minimum of 90 days active duty, or separation earlier than ninety days under honorable conditions because of a service-connected disability.
3A spouse, widow or widower applies on the veteran’s service and must send that veteran’s DD214 plus proof of marriage, and a death certificate where applicable.
4Be a resident of the state at the time of admission — that is the residency test, and it is at admission rather than a year beforehand.
5Every veteran resident must either receive a VA pension or apply for one. A State Service Officer is posted at each home to do that with you.
6If your rating is 70% or higher, raise it with admissions immediately — it is the difference between a daily bill and none.
7Expect to disclose income and assets. The application asks for bank statements, proof of income, and any property or asset sold, transferred or gifted in the last five years.

File with: Division of Veterans Services, Idaho State Veterans Home admissions
Documents you will need: dd214 · va benefit summary letter
No renewal: Once granted it does not need renewing.

Worth knowingThe 70% threshold is the single largest number in this record. Below it a resident is looking at roughly $10,300 to $11,400 a month; at or above it the VA covers the cost of nursing care.

Worth knowingResidency is tested at admission, not before. A veteran can move here and apply — unlike states that require a year of residency first.

Worth knowingThe spouse rate is the same at all three semi-private homes ($414.07) while the veteran rate varies by $32 a day between them. Choosing the cheaper home only saves money if the resident is the veteran.

Worth knowingThe VA pension requirement is a condition of residency, not a suggestion: every veteran resident must be receiving a VA pension or have applied for one.

Sources

authority · published policyIdaho Division of Veterans Services — Idaho State Veterans Home Application for Admission, effective 1 July 2026: eligibility and room rates
operating · published policyIdaho Division of Veterans Services — Veterans Homes

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.