Paying for a walk-in tub in Utah

VA HISA grant for Utah veterans

The Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant pays for changes to a veteran's home that a VA physician finds medically necessary, which can include a walk-in tub or a roll-in shower. Federal rules set lifetime limits:

• Up to $6,800 for a service-connected condition, or for any condition if the veteran has a service-connected rating of 50 percent or more.
• Up to $2,000 for other veterans eligible for VA medical care.

The limit is lifetime, so a veteran who has used part of it keeps the remainder for a later project. Work should not begin until the VA approves the application, which is filed on VA Form 10-0103 with photos of the bathroom and an itemized estimate.

Where Utah veterans start

The VA Salt Lake City Health Care System runs the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City and clinics in North Logan, South Ogden, Orem, South Jordan, Price, Roosevelt and St. George. Ask your primary care team for a HISA evaluation; they route it to the prosthetics office.

Aging Safely Baths accepts HISA as payment and writes the itemized estimate the application needs. Their step-by-step HISA guide covers the paperwork in more detail.

Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver

Utah's Waiver for Individuals Age 65 or Older helps older adults stay in their own homes with services that Medicaid would not otherwise pay for. Its published service list includes environmental accessibility adaptations, the program term for physical changes to a home, along with case management, homemaker services, emergency response systems and specialized medical equipment.

To qualify, a person must be 65 or older, need the level of care a nursing facility provides, and meet Medicaid's financial rules. The state says plainly that the waiver serves a limited number of people and has a waiting list, and services are based on an individual assessment. The referral starts with your local Area Agency on Aging, listed below. The Division of Aging and Adult Services can be reached at (801) 538-3910.

New Choices Waiver

The New Choices Waiver is for a different group: people who already live long term in a nursing facility, a licensed assisted living facility or another licensed medical institution, and who want to move back to a home setting. It also requires nursing-facility-level care. Its Environmental Accessibility Adaptations service covers physical changes to a residence that are needed for health, welfare and safety or that help the person live more independently, and the installer must hold a contractor's license.

The program office is at 801-538-6155 (option 6) from the Salt Lake area, or 800-662-9651 (option 6) elsewhere. People who are not living in one of those facilities cannot apply.

Utah Area Agencies on Aging

Utah's local aging offices cover every county. They handle Aging Waiver referrals and can tell you about any local home-repair or caregiver programs. Funds are limited, so call early and ask about waiting lists.

Numbers change. The DAAS locations directory has current contacts for every county and senior center.

USDA Section 504 repair grants for rural Utah

USDA Rural Development's Section 504 program helps very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas remove health and safety hazards. Homeowners 62 and older can receive a grant of up to $10,000 over a lifetime; loans of up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years are also available, and the two can be combined up to $50,000. A grant must be repaid if the home is sold within three years. Many Utah towns outside the Wasatch Front cities fall in eligible areas, but eligibility is set address by address, so ask the Utah Rural Development office before assuming.

Medicare

Original Medicare generally does not cover walk-in tubs, because they are considered home modifications rather than durable medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer a limited supplemental benefit for bathroom safety items. Call the number on your plan card and ask whether you have any home-safety benefit and how to use it. Write down the date and the name of the person you spoke with.

Tips that save time

• Pick the product first. Every program moves faster with a specific model and an itemized written estimate.
• Match the estimate to the real job. If you plan to use your own plumber, the estimate should say so.
• Do not start work before approval. Most programs will not pay for work already done.
• Consider a roll-in shower if the person uses a wheelchair; some programs and assessments favor showers for that reason.

When you are ready for the estimate, request a written quote or call 1-888-779-2284. To understand the price itself, read walk-in tub cost in Utah.