If you are a veteran trying to make a bathroom or entryway usable, HISA is usually the first place to look. It is the VA health care benefit built specifically for medically necessary changes to the home — not equipment you roll in and out, but permanent structural work.
What HISA actually pays
There are two lifetime limits, and which one applies to you depends on the basis of your disability:
- Up to $6,800 for a service-connected disability, a compensable disability treated as service-connected, or a non-service-connected disability when you also have a separate service-connected disability rated at 50% or higher.
- Up to $2,000 for veterans enrolled in VA health care with other medically justified non-service-connected disabilities.
One detail that trips people up: for the $6,800 tier, disability percentages cannot be added together to reach 50%. A single service-connected rating has to be 50% or higher on its own.
These are lifetime amounts. They do not reset each year. You can spread them across more than one project, but once the money is used, the benefit is done.
What the benefit covers
HISA is aimed at permanent alterations that are prescribed as medically necessary. Typical approved work includes:
- Permanent wheelchair ramps
- Roll-in or zero-threshold showers
- Widened doorways and hallways
- Lowered countertops and sinks
- Plumbing or electrical work needed to support medical equipment
- Bathroom modifications that make the room usable with a mobility device
What it does not cover
Denials usually come down to one of these categories:
- Portable equipment — portable ramps, stairlifts, vertical platform lifts
- Cosmetic upgrades — new tile, paint, finishes chosen for looks rather than function
- General maintenance or repairs — roofing, siding, existing plumbing failures
- Recreational additions — hot tubs, spas, decking
If the work would happen regardless of your medical condition, assume it is outside HISA.
How to apply
HISA is administered through your local VA medical center, specifically the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS). The core package is:
- VA Form 10-0103, the HISA application
- A written prescription from a VA physician establishing medical necessity for the specific modification
- An itemized estimate from your contractor — line items, not a single lump sum
- Color photographs of the area to be modified
- Notarized landlord authorization if you rent
Two practical notes. First, get the prescription before you get attached to a design — what the physician documents shapes what gets approved. Second, contractors who have done HISA work before will produce the itemized estimate in the format PSAS expects, which is a real time-saver.
Where AccessHome Pro fits
We do not process HISA applications and we are not affiliated with the VA. What we can do is help you find contractors who work on accessibility projects and who have handled grant paperwork before, so the estimate you submit does not come back for revisions.