Washington DC — Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced important changes aimed at improving access to mental health services for veterans. Effective immediately, veterans will no longer have to pay copays for their first three outpatient mental health care and substance use disorder visits each year through 2027. This new benefit is intended to reduce out-of-pocket costs and expand access to essential mental health services.
The waiver is retroactive to June 27, 2023 and will end on December 29, 2027. It applies to visits with eligible mental health professionals at a VA facility or through the VA’s Community Care Provider Network. Veterans who already paid copays for these visits after June 27, 2023 will be automatically reimbursed with no further action required.
VA’s efforts are part of a broader effort to provide timely, quality mental health care to veterans. Today, the VA is booking more mental health appointments than ever before while reducing wait times for new appointments. Notably, veterans’ confidence in VA outpatient care has reached an all-time high of 91.8%, and recent surveys have shown that VA care outperforms non-VA care on a range of quality measures.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough emphasized the importance of the change. “We want to ensure that all veterans, regardless of their financial situation, have access to the mental health care they deserve, and that’s what this copay waiver is for,” he said. “We’re constantly working to expand access to mental health care, and we won’t rest until all veterans can get care when and where they need it.”
In addition to the copayment waiver, VA implemented a new policy in 2023 to allow eligible veterans and certain former military personnel in acute suicidal crisis to receive free emergency medical care at VA or non-VA facilities. Since implementation, more than 60,000 veterans and former military personnel have taken advantage of this benefit and received life-saving treatment at no cost. This policy has allowed up to 9 million people to receive emergency suicide treatment, including those not enrolled in the VA system.
To support these efforts, VA is aggressively recruiting mental health professionals across the country. Over the past three fiscal years, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has filled more than 9,000 mental health positions, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and other professionals. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the VHA made 2,000 new hires. Additionally, retention rates for VHA employees, including mental health professionals, are at an all-time high and exceed private sector benchmarks.
This copayment waiver is part of the Cleland-Dole Act of 2022 and reflects VA’s ongoing commitment to improving veterans’ access to mental health care. The impact is significant: by eliminating financial barriers, VA will ensure more veterans can receive the mental health care they need, ultimately improving their quality of life and well-being.
In summary, VA’s new copay waivers for mental health services are an important step toward making care more accessible and affordable for veterans. This initiative, along with other efforts to expand emergency care and increase specialized mental health staffing, demonstrates VA’s dedication to supporting those who have served our country.
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