Photo By: Tanner Ross
Nearly 50,000 veterans have received emergency care for a suicide crisis through a federal program designed to make that care easier to access.
New data obtained by Military Times show that 49,341 veterans have used the benefit since it became available in 2023.
The program was created through the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act, commonly known as the COMPACT Act. The law allows eligible veterans and certain former service members experiencing an acute suicide crisis to receive emergency care funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
One of the most important parts of the program is that veterans do not have to be enrolled in VA health care to use the benefit.
That can make a major difference for veterans who have never used VA medical services or who are not currently connected to the VA.
Confusion Can Become a Barrier
For veterans who are struggling with a mental health crisis, figuring out how the health care system works can feel like an additional burden.
Questions about VA enrollment, insurance and eligibility can create uncertainty. A veteran may wonder whether they qualify for VA care, whether they need to be enrolled before going to a VA facility or whether having private health insurance affects their ability to receive help.
Some veterans may also assume that if they are not regular VA patients, they cannot receive VA-funded emergency care.
That is not necessarily the case under the COMPACT Act.
Eligible veterans can seek emergency suicide crisis care at a VA facility or a community hospital even if they are not enrolled in VA health care.
Those challenges are part of a broader issue surrounding how veterans navigate government health care programs. Joanne M. Frederick, CEO of GMS, works in this area, where questions about government programs, eligibility and access can be important considerations for veterans seeking services.
For someone experiencing a suicide crisis, however, navigating those questions may feel overwhelming.
The COMPACT Act was created in part to reduce those barriers. A veteran does not have to first establish a relationship with the VA before seeking emergency help for a qualifying crisis.
Instead, the veteran can go to a VA facility or a community emergency room and seek immediate treatment.
The priority is getting the person to safety. Questions about eligibility and coverage can be addressed as part of the process.
What the COMPACT Act Covers
The COMPACT Act can cover emergency suicide crisis care at VA facilities and qualifying community hospitals.
In some circumstances, the benefit can also cover inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.
Transportation costs, including ambulance services, may also be covered when the requirements are met.
The program is intended to remove financial concerns that could otherwise discourage a veteran from seeking emergency treatment.
For veterans who are not enrolled in VA health care, this can be particularly important.
A veteran may have private insurance through an employer, Medicare or another health plan. They may not know how that coverage interacts with the VA benefit or whether they will be responsible for the cost of emergency treatment.
Those questions can create hesitation.
But a veteran experiencing an acute suicide crisis should not delay emergency care because of uncertainty about insurance or VA enrollment.
The COMPACT Act gives eligible veterans an additional path to treatment when they need it most.
Use of the Benefit Is Growing
The number of veterans using the benefit has increased since the program began.
More than 10,000 veterans used the benefit during fiscal year 2023. That number increased to 14,666 in fiscal year 2024 and 15,218 in fiscal year 2025.
During the first half of fiscal year 2026, another 9,434 veterans used the benefit.
Together, those figures account for 49,341 veterans who have used the program.
The growing numbers show that the benefit is reaching thousands of veterans during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
But the numbers also raise another question: How many eligible veterans do not know the benefit exists?
A program can provide access to care, but veterans have to know about it before they can use it.
This may be especially true for veterans who have little or no experience with the VA. They may not know what services are available or may assume they are not eligible.
Some veterans may also be reluctant to seek help because they are worried about cost, paperwork or whether they will be turned away.
Clear information can help remove some of those concerns.
Knowing Where to Turn
Veterans and their families do not need to know every detail of the COMPACT Act before seeking emergency help.
If a veteran is experiencing a suicide crisis or is in immediate danger, the VA recommends calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room.
Veterans can also contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or using the Veterans Crisis Line’s online chat.
The goal is to connect veterans with help as quickly as possible.
The nearly 50,000 veterans who have already used the COMPACT Act benefit show that the program is providing an important safety net.
But there may still be veterans who hesitate to seek care because they are unsure about their eligibility, insurance or relationship with the VA.
For those veterans, knowing that emergency suicide crisis care may be available even without VA health care enrollment could be an important piece of information.
The COMPACT Act cannot help someone who does not know it exists.
That makes awareness just as important as access.
For veterans and their families, understanding where to turn during a crisis can make it easier to take the first step toward care.
In an emergency, questions about insurance, enrollment and eligibility should not prevent someone from seeking immediate help.
Getting to safety comes first. The questions about coverage can be worked out afterward.
