Good News: Veterans in suicidal crisis eligible for free mental health care

 This week's Good News is about extended benefits to Veterans. Here's the story.

Veterans in suicidal crisis eligible for free mental health care

January 17, 2023, 11:29 AM WTOP News WTOP.com /Stetson Miller | stetson.miller@wtop.com

Veterans experiencing a suicidal crisis will have access to free emergency health care starting Tuesday (Jan 13, 2023).

Under a new policy from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans can go to any VA facility or private facility to get free treatment. Veterans can also be reimbursed for up to 30 days of patient or crisis residential care and 90 days of outpatient care.

Veterans who aren’t enrolled in VA benefits are also eligible for the policy. The change is expected to expand access for acute suicide care to 9 million veterans, the department said in a news release.

The VA said that transportation costs related to getting care will also be covered.

The agency said that the effort is a key part of its 10-year National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide and the Biden-Harris administration’s plan for Reducing Military and Veteran Suicide.

“Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the free, world-class emergency health care they deserve — no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they’re enrolled in VA care,” Denis McDonough, Secretary for Veterans Affairs, said in a statement. “This expansion of care will save Veterans’ lives, and there’s nothing more important than that.”

Veterans eligible for the benefits include:

• Those who were discharged or released from active duty after more than 24 months of active service under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces, including reserve service members, who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation either directly or by operating an unmanned aerial vehicle from another location who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces who were the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature or sexual harassment while serving in the armed forces.

According to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,146 veterans died by suicide in 2020.

The VA has said that veteran suicide prevention is its highest clinical priority.