VA says nearly 50K veterans used emergency suicide prevention program in its first year

Nearly 50,000 veterans made use of an emergency suicide prevention program that was launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs last year.

The VA announced Wednesday that 49,714 veterans and former service members took advantage of a new benefit that allowed them to go to any VA or non-VA health facility to get free emergency care if they were experiencing an acute suicidal crisis.

The department said the benefit not only offered potentially life-saving health care, it saved more than $64 million in health care costs.

“There is nothing more important to VA than preventing Veteran suicide — and this expansion of no-cost care has likely saved thousands of lives this year,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “We want all Veterans to know they can get the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they are.”

The department said the new policy allowed those experiencing a suicidal crisis to get necessary care, including emergency room visits, up to 30 days of inpatient or crisis residential care, up to 90 days of outpatient care and transportation costs.

The VA also said that the policy expanded no-cost care to 9 million veterans with its inaugural launch last year.

Veterans are 57 percent more likely to commit suicide than those who have not served, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among veterans under the age of 45, according to the organization Stop Soldier Suicide.

The most recent report from the VA found that there were 6,392 veteran suicide deaths in 2021 — up 114 deaths from the year prior.

The report also said that suicide was the 13th leading cause of death among all veterans in 2021, with the most occurring among those aged 18 to 34.