Eligibility Requirements for Veterans' Homes

Find out if you are eligible for the services at Chelsea Veterans' Home.

Who is eligible

Qualified veterans include those who have served in the armed forces of the United States for ninety (90) consecutive days, one of which was during a time of war; and those who received an honorable military discharge. In certain instances, a veteran may have served one-hundred-eighty (180) days of regular, active service and also qualify for services from the Veterans' Home in Holyoke. Please consult Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 4, Section 7, Clause 43 for more information on these instances.

Copies of your military separation papers (DD-214) must be presented to our admissions office in order to determine eligibility for services provided by the Veterans' Home in Holyoke.

Please note that under Massachusetts Law, veterans cannot be admitted or treated in our Outpatient Department for:

• Service-connected cases for service-connected disabilities;
• Industrial accident cases; or
• Automobile accident cases involving insurance and liability of another.

Dates of eligibility

• April 6,1917 - November 11,1918: World War I
  90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• November 12,1918 - September 15,1940: Peacetime
  180 Days of regular active duty service, and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
• September 16,1940 - December 31,1946: World War II
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• December 7,1941 - December 31,1946: Merchant Marine
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• January 1,1947 - June 24,1950: Peacetime
  180 Days of regular active duty service, and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
• June 25,1950 - January 31,1955: Korean War
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• February 1,1955 - August 4,1964: Vietnam War I
  180 Days of regular active duty service, and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
• August 5,1964 - May 7,1975: Vietnam War II
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• May 8, 1975 - August 1,1990: Peacetime
  180 Days of regular active duty service, and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
• August 25,1982 - (To Be Determined Later): Lebanon Campaign
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• October 25,1983 - December 15,1983: Grenada Campaign
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• December 20,1989 - January 31,1990: Panama Campaign
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.
• August 2,1990 - (To Be Determined Later): Persian Gulf War
  90 Days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable discharge.

Special notes of consideration

1. Must indicate Expeditionary Medal. All DD214's must specify campaign (i.e., Lebanon, Granada or Panama).
2. To qualify for you must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, or, members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of he U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, Sections 38, 40 and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the above chart.
3. To qualify, they must have been called to regular active duty, at which point, their eligibility can be determined by the above chart.

Exceptions

1. Active duty service in the armed forces shall not include active duty training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.
2. It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability.