Caring for Veterans provides a unique opportunity to identify any and all service-connected health issues. Minnesota Veterans Homes’ Residents are benefiting from a collaboration between the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) Healthcare and Programs & Services Divisions.

For example, a recent Resident of the Silver Bay Veterans Home had battled a health condition for many years, but the condition had not been recognized as service related. After learning more about the Resident’s situation, the MDVA team worked with the Federal VA to establish the connection between the health issue and the Resident’s military service. They were successful and the Resident was grateful to have the Federal VA recognize the service connection.

While this initiative started as a focused effort at the Minneapolis Veterans Home in 2017, the project has expanded over the years to now include all the Veterans Homes. Through an effort named “Operation Homefront,” extra resources have been dedicated to both the MDVA Claims and Field Operations team members reviewing each Resident; this includes looking at their diagnoses, time and location of military service and the Federal VA benefits that they may qualify for based on their current condition, then assisting each Veteran to apply for an optimal service-connection rating as warranted, according to Supervisor Stephen Perry. Optimizing Federal VA service-connected benefits can provide Residents with additional service-connected income from the Federal VA and may result in a lower or no co-payment in MDVA skilled nursing facilities.

Since April 2025, this extra push has allowed the team to complete benefit reviews for all Residents at the Bemidji, Preston and Fergus Falls Veterans Homes. The team is continuing to complete benefit reviews for the remaining five Homes as well. They hope to wrap up the remaining work under Operation Homefront by the end of 2026.

The work is never ending, Perry notes. “A Resident’s condition can change at any time. When that happens, the team will evaluate the Resident’s condition and determine if additional benefits may be available.”

For additional information or support, contact Stephen Perry, Supervisor, Medical Center Services, MDVA at stephen.perry@state.mn.us.