Posted on Jan 17, 2023
VA Announces Free Emergency Health Care for Veterans in Suicidal Crisis
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If you’re a Veteran in acute suicidal crisis or if you know someone who is, you now have greater access to intensive help, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced this month.
Veterans determined to be in acute crisis can now get up to 30 free days of inpatient care and/or up to 90 free days of outpatient care whether or not they’re enrolled in VA. VA will cover the costs of services delivered by either a VA or non-VA provider and related emergency transportation expenses.
The policy, which took effect January 17th, 2023, is for Veterans “at imminent risk of self-harm” based on the assessment of trained health care providers or crisis responders. VA interprets the term “trained crisis responder” to include Veterans Crisis Line counselors and first responders such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services professionals.
“This expansion of care will save Veterans’ lives, and there’s nothing more important than that,” Denis McDonough, VA secretary, said in a news release.
The expanded care for eligible Veterans is authorized by section 201 of the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act of 2020.
VA published an interim final rule on Jan. 17 interpreting that section and further defining what’s covered, which includes:
• Providing, paying for, or reimbursing the costs of treatment for emergency suicide care, emergency transportation, and follow-up care, including up to 30 days of inpatient or crisis residential care and/or 90 days of outpatient care.
• Determining which other benefits and services Veterans are eligible for.
• Making referrals for further care and for other VA programs and benefits following emergent suicide care.
Veterans eligible for the benefits include those who:
• Served on or were released from active duty after more than 24 months and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Served in the armed forces (including reserves) for more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or for a direct or unmanned aerial vehicle support for a contingency operation and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• During service in the armed forces survived a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature or sexual harassment.
Broad definition of imminent risk and type of care
In the interim rule, VA doesn’t specify which behaviors or statements are necessary to indicate that someone is at imminent risk of self-harm.
Such determinations can “vary greatly based on a totality of circumstances and information as assessed by the trained crisis responder or health care provider,” VA says in the rule. “We will not regulate, however, that an individual must communicate any particular language, or that their behavior must meet any particular parameters, or that they must have any type of diagnosis to indicate that they are in acute suicidal crisis.”
As long as it’s clinically necessary, VA also broadly defines what’s considered emergent suicide care. For instance, VA says most Veterans may need both inpatient care to be stabilized and outpatient care to prevent relapse and address the effects of the initial crisis.
“Therefore,” it says in the rule, “VA will not regulate outpatient care to be solely available as an alternative to inpatient or crisis residential care, as we envision nearly all individuals in acute suicidal crisis will require some level of emergent suicide care on an inpatient basis to be followed by care on an outpatient basis.”
Additional resources for Veterans in crisis
VA noted that this action follows other efforts to prevent and end Veteran death by suicide, including a new rule to lower or eliminate copays for Veterans at risk of suicide: https://rly.pt/3iSSLfE
Find and share these additional mental health and suicide prevention resources:
• Call or share the Veterans Crisis Line number, which is 988 and press 1.
Learn more:
• Read the interim final rule, which provides more details about the coverage, eligibility and more: https://rly.pt/3kjdYzT
• Read the VA news release from Jan. 13: https://rly.pt/3WhqUDO
Veterans determined to be in acute crisis can now get up to 30 free days of inpatient care and/or up to 90 free days of outpatient care whether or not they’re enrolled in VA. VA will cover the costs of services delivered by either a VA or non-VA provider and related emergency transportation expenses.
The policy, which took effect January 17th, 2023, is for Veterans “at imminent risk of self-harm” based on the assessment of trained health care providers or crisis responders. VA interprets the term “trained crisis responder” to include Veterans Crisis Line counselors and first responders such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services professionals.
“This expansion of care will save Veterans’ lives, and there’s nothing more important than that,” Denis McDonough, VA secretary, said in a news release.
The expanded care for eligible Veterans is authorized by section 201 of the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act of 2020.
VA published an interim final rule on Jan. 17 interpreting that section and further defining what’s covered, which includes:
• Providing, paying for, or reimbursing the costs of treatment for emergency suicide care, emergency transportation, and follow-up care, including up to 30 days of inpatient or crisis residential care and/or 90 days of outpatient care.
• Determining which other benefits and services Veterans are eligible for.
• Making referrals for further care and for other VA programs and benefits following emergent suicide care.
Veterans eligible for the benefits include those who:
• Served on or were released from active duty after more than 24 months and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Served in the armed forces (including reserves) for more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or for a direct or unmanned aerial vehicle support for a contingency operation and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• During service in the armed forces survived a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature or sexual harassment.
Broad definition of imminent risk and type of care
In the interim rule, VA doesn’t specify which behaviors or statements are necessary to indicate that someone is at imminent risk of self-harm.
Such determinations can “vary greatly based on a totality of circumstances and information as assessed by the trained crisis responder or health care provider,” VA says in the rule. “We will not regulate, however, that an individual must communicate any particular language, or that their behavior must meet any particular parameters, or that they must have any type of diagnosis to indicate that they are in acute suicidal crisis.”
As long as it’s clinically necessary, VA also broadly defines what’s considered emergent suicide care. For instance, VA says most Veterans may need both inpatient care to be stabilized and outpatient care to prevent relapse and address the effects of the initial crisis.
“Therefore,” it says in the rule, “VA will not regulate outpatient care to be solely available as an alternative to inpatient or crisis residential care, as we envision nearly all individuals in acute suicidal crisis will require some level of emergent suicide care on an inpatient basis to be followed by care on an outpatient basis.”
Additional resources for Veterans in crisis
VA noted that this action follows other efforts to prevent and end Veteran death by suicide, including a new rule to lower or eliminate copays for Veterans at risk of suicide: https://rly.pt/3iSSLfE
Find and share these additional mental health and suicide prevention resources:
• Call or share the Veterans Crisis Line number, which is 988 and press 1.
Learn more:
• Read the interim final rule, which provides more details about the coverage, eligibility and more: https://rly.pt/3kjdYzT
• Read the VA news release from Jan. 13: https://rly.pt/3WhqUDO
Veterans Affairs (VA)
Suicide
Mental Health
Health
Government
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 12
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Too many suicides from generals on down to privates, alcohol is a factor but nobody wants to talk about it because the government makes too much money from it especially the Army Air Force exchange.
https://www.aa.org/
https://www.aa.org/
Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. | Alcoholics Anonymous
Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. A.A. has a simple program that works. It’s based on one alcoholic helping another.
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This d e a agent who was also a Marine Corps Reserve squadron commander killed himself after telling coworkers at a bar that he was frustrated with his job. He went home and shot himself. A full bird colonel who was one of his co-workers told me a week or two after the incident and after he went to attend the funeral. Stay sober and stay alive!
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/03/15/marine-reserve-reconnaissance-commander-found-dead-at-home/
Ryan Callahan PO2 Marco Monsalve
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/03/15/marine-reserve-reconnaissance-commander-found-dead-at-home/
Ryan Callahan PO2 Marco Monsalve
Marine reserve reconnaissance commander found dead at home
Officials have ruled his death a suicide.
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24/7, confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. Contact the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online, or text 838255.
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Suspended Profile
As LTC Stephen Conway stated, a tremendous number of our troops have an alcohol addiction. The VA has Addiction Specialists; if you need help, contact your care team and request a referral. You will get support and meet many others in the groups (ours are virtual now) that provide great support and personal stories that are not so different from yours.
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This Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel killed himself after going to the bar and complaining to his fellow drug enforcement agency comrades on how he hated his job. I know this because a full bird colonel in my old unit told me this story after he went to the funeral.
Alcohol is a problem. Alcohol can make you do things you wouldn't normally do. This guy went home and shot himself. His neighbor heard the gun go off
This was not reported in the newspaper but this Colonel I knew in the 75th training command told me this because it was one of his co-workers. He knew him personally.
Stay sober, stay alive and call the suicide hotline.
Ryan Callahan PO2 Marco Monsalve
Alcohol is a problem. Alcohol can make you do things you wouldn't normally do. This guy went home and shot himself. His neighbor heard the gun go off
This was not reported in the newspaper but this Colonel I knew in the 75th training command told me this because it was one of his co-workers. He knew him personally.
Stay sober, stay alive and call the suicide hotline.
Ryan Callahan PO2 Marco Monsalve
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FYI, The stats on completed suicide has been recently updated and there are changes to the demographic most at risk. It seems now the the highest risk group are those that are between ages 18-34. We prevent suicide by asking the question "are you suicidal?" when we see the signs. Learn your people and know the signs.
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