The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that veterans will no longer have to pay copayments for their first three outpatient mental health care and substance use visits through 2027. This copayment waiver is retroactive to June 27, 2023, and will expire by law (Cleland-Dole Act of 2022) on December 29, 2027. This benefit will provide veterans with greater access to mental health care services and reduce their out-of-pocket costs.
For Veterans to qualify for this copayment waiver, their outpatient visits must be with a VA-qualified mental health professional or be provided through the VA’s Community Care Provider Network. If eligible, VA will automatically reimburse any copayments paid to VA for these visits after June 27, 2023. No action is required on the part of the Veteran.
“We want to ensure that all veterans, regardless of their financial situation, can receive the mental health care they deserve, and that’s what this copay waiver is for,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “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.”
VA also announced a new policy in 2023 that allows qualified veterans and certain former military personnel to receive free emergency medical care at VA or non-VA emergency facilities if they are in serious suicidal crisis. More than 60,000 veterans and former military personnel have benefited from this life-saving care. Additionally, because qualified veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system or go to a VA to access this benefit, 9 million veterans have been able to receive emergency suicide treatment at no cost.
Visit the VA’s mental health website here.
