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MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID Eligibility Policy and Procedures Manual CHAPTER 200A – Income: ABD Categories Page |48 Effective Month: July 2025 200A.07.09 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PAYMENTS (VA BENEFITS) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has numerous programs that make payments to recipients and their families. Treatment of those VA payments for SSI/Medicaid purposes depends on the nature of the payments. The most common types of VA payments discussed in this section are: • Pensions • Compensation • Educational Assistance • Aid and Attendance Allowance • Housebound Allowance • Clothing Allowance • Payment Adjustment for Unusual Medical Expenses • Payments to Vietnam Veterans’ children with Spina Bifida • VA Caregiver Payments Explore the possibility of receipt of, or potential eligibility for, a VA payment whenever it becomes known an applicant or recipient is: • A veteran • The child or spouse of a disabled or deceased service person or veteran • An unmarried widow or widower of a deceased service person or veteran • The parent(s) of a service person or veteran who died after December 31, 1956, from a service-connected cause Mississippi Laws Concerning Veterans Benefits Mississippi state laws require or allow the following to assist a veteran in applying for VA benefits: • Each county in Mississippi may employ a County Veterans Service Officer to assist veterans and/or their family members apply for VA benefits with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. • The Mississippi Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, must furnish copies of birth and death certificates, without charge, when needed to establish claims for dependency, disability or survivors’ benefits for any veterans who are legal residents of Mississippi or their claimants. • Chancery and Circuit Clerks must furnish, without charge, copies of marriages licenses, divorce decrees, adoption decrees and any and all other records when