Caregiving in Virginia— the questions adult children actually ask.

No on both counts. Virginia repealed its state estate tax effective July 1, 2007, and has never had a state inheritance tax. The federal estate tax exemption (~$13.99M per person in 2025) applies, so most Virginia estates face no estate tax at any level. Virginia has a modest state income tax (graduated to 5.75%) with limited subtractions for retirement income, but estate planning in Virginia is primarily about probate avoidance and family coordination, not state-tax minimization.

For Virginia Medicaid LTC (delivered primarily through Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus, CCC+), the asset limit for a single applicant is $2,000 — the SSI baseline used in most states. The home is exempt up to approximately $752,000 of equity (the federal ceiling), one vehicle is exempt, and a community spouse can retain up to approximately $157,920 in the community spouse resource allowance. Virginia delivers LTC through a managed-care model — once approved, your parent enrolls with one of several MCOs that coordinates all CCC+ services.

Yes, through CCC+ Consumer Directed Services. Once your parent qualifies for CCC+ and chooses the consumer-directed model, the recipient (or their representative) can hire and pay a personal-care worker, including most adult children (spouses generally cannot be paid). Hourly rates vary by MCO and region; typical 2026 ranges run $13-$17/hour. Virginia's CDS model is a long-standing option that gives families meaningful control over care delivery.

Many military retirees and their spouses in Virginia (especially Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia) are eligible for TRICARE-for-Life, which becomes the secondary payer after Medicare once the retiree turns 65 and enrolls in Medicare Parts A and B. This combination is often the most cost-effective Medicare structure for eligible military retirees — Medicare pays first, TRICARE-for-Life picks up most cost-sharing, and prescription coverage runs through TRICARE Senior Pharmacy. Medigap is usually unnecessary in this scenario, and Medicare Advantage interacts with TRICARE in ways that warrant care. Worth a conversation with a VICAP counselor or a military-experienced advisor before AEP.

Virginia follows the standard federal 60-month (5-year) look-back for all Medicaid LTC applications. Any uncompensated transfer — gifts to children, below-market sales, charitable contributions above modest levels — during the 60 months before application generates a penalty period during which Virginia Medicaid will not pay for nursing-home or CCC+ services. The penalty divisor is set by DMAS each year and approximates the average private-pay nursing-home rate.

Call Virginia Adult Protective Services at 1-888-832-3858, operated 24/7 by the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services under Va. Code §63.2-1603 et seq. Reports may be made anonymously. For abuse in licensed nursing homes or assisted-living facilities (Adult Care Residences), contact the Virginia Long-Term Care Ombudsman through DARS at 1-800-552-3402. For immediate danger, call 911 first. Virginia law requires mandatory reporting by a broad range of professionals.

No state-level paid family leave program. Working caregivers in Virginia rely on federal FMLA, which provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for employees at employers with 50+ employees who have worked 1,250+ hours in the past 12 months. Smaller employers are not federally required to provide FMLA. Virginia has no state-level caregiver tax credit. Federal-government employees in Northern Virginia have access to the federal paid parental leave (12 weeks for new parents) but not separate paid family-care leave; many large Virginia private employers offer paid leave voluntarily.

Virginia's statewide median for a private one-bedroom assisted-living unit is approximately $5,200-$5,800/month in 2024 dollars (Genworth Cost of Care Survey). Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria) is meaningfully higher — often $6,500-$8,000+ — making it one of the most expensive assisted-living markets in the country. Richmond and Hampton Roads run closer to the state median ($4,500-$5,500). Southwest Virginia and rural areas can be $3,800-$4,800. Memory care typically adds 25-35%.

Virginia allows simplified administration for small estates using a small-estate affidavit process for personal property under approximately $50,000 (Va. Code §64.2-601 et seq.,). For estates exceeding the small-estate threshold, formal probate through the Circuit Court Clerk's office is typically required. A properly funded revocable living trust avoids probate entirely for the assets it holds, which is the higher-leverage move for most Virginia families with significant real-property holdings.

Likely yes for practical purposes, even if not legally required. Virginia honors out-of-state powers of attorney that were validly executed in the home state (Va. Code §64.2-1620), but Virginia banks, brokerages, and Circuit Court Clerks routinely require Virginia-format documents — particularly for real-estate transactions and significant transfers. A Virginia-specific Power of Attorney under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act (Va. Code §64.2-1600 et seq.) with explicit specific-authority provisions (gifting, trust amendments, beneficiary changes) typically costs $200-$500 through an attorney.