If you are in crisis, reach the Veterans Crisis Line now. Call 988 and select 1. You can also text 838255 or start a confidential chat at veteranscrisisline.net. In the VA's words it is "Private, free, and available 24/7," and no VA enrollment is required. If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, go to the nearest emergency room, VA or not.
Under a law called the COMPACT Act, an eligible veteran in an acute suicidal crisis can get free emergency care at any VA or non-VA facility, without being enrolled in VA health care. The point of this guide is simple: get care first, sort out the paperwork later. Everything below is quoted from the statute or the VA, because in a crisis you deserve facts, not guesses.
Act now: what the benefit does
The Department of Veterans Affairs describes the benefit this way. It allows "eligible individuals in an acute suicidal crisis to go to any VA or community health care facility to receive free emergency health care." You do not have to pick a VA hospital, and you do not have to already be in the system. The nearest emergency room counts.
Cost is not a barrier. The statute is direct: the Secretary "may not charge the eligible individual for any cost of such emergent suicide care." That is the law, not a courtesy.
What is covered
The care is not a single visit. Here is what the benefit covers:
| Care covered | Limit |
|---|---|
| Inpatient or crisis residential care | Up to 30 days |
| Outpatient care | Up to 90 days |
| Transportation costs | Covered |
| Medication prescriptions | Covered |
Those day limits come straight from the statute, which authorizes inpatient or crisis residential care "for a period not to exceed 30 days" and outpatient care "for a period not to exceed 90 days." The VA confirms that its coverage for an acute suicidal episode includes transportation costs and medication prescriptions on top of that care.
How the benefit reaches you
You can enter this care two ways. The statute describes emergent suicide care as crisis stabilization care that follows a Veterans Crisis Line recommendation or a direct presentation for care. In plain terms, you can be routed in after you call 988 and select 1, or you can go to a facility yourself and ask for help. Either path works.
The law also does not limit the care to a hospital bed. It defines "crisis residential care" as stabilization care provided "in a residential setting" and "in a facility other than a hospital." That is why the covered settings are broader than an emergency room alone. The common thread across all of it is speed: the benefit is built to take cost and enrollment off the table so nothing stands between you and immediate care.
Who is eligible
Eligibility is broad. It is not literally everyone, so here is exactly what the statute says, kept below the act-now guidance on purpose. The law covers an "eligible individual," defined as someone "in an acute suicidal crisis" who is either "A veteran (as defined in section 101)" or "An individual described in section 1720I(b) of this title." The statute defines an acute suicidal crisis as a case where "an individual was determined to be at imminent risk of self-harm by a trained crisis responder."
That second category, the 1720I(b) group, is the part many people do not know about. It reaches certain former service members whose discharge was, in the statute's words, "under a condition that is not honorable but not, (A) a dishonorable discharge; or (B) a discharge by court-martial," and who also meet one of two service tests:
- Served "for a period of more than 100 cumulative days" and "was deployed in a theater of combat operations, in support of a contingency operation, or in an area at a time during which hostilities are occurring," or
- While serving, "was the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment."
If you are not sure whether you qualify, that uncertainty is not a reason to wait. Get care first.
Using a non-VA facility
You can walk into a community emergency room, not just a VA one. For community care, the VA states that "The VA must get the notification within 72 hours," and it publishes a notification line, 844-724-7842. Your job in a crisis is to get to care.
What this does not mean
Free emergency suicide care does not mean you must be enrolled in VA, and it does not mean you have to reach a VA hospital first. In the VA's words, individuals do not need to be enrolled to use this benefit, and any VA or community facility works. It also does not mean every service is unlimited: the law authorizes inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. And an uncertain discharge status is not a reason to stay away. Eligibility for the 1720I(b) group is specific, but eligibility is something the VA determines after you are safe, not a test you pass at the door.
Hypothetical example. A veteran we will call Dana is worried about a friend, another veteran, late at night. Dana calls 988 and selects 1, talks with a responder, and then drives the friend to the closest emergency room, which is not a VA facility. The friend is treated and admitted for observation. Because this is emergent suicide care for an eligible individual, the friend is not charged for the covered care. This is an illustration of how the benefit works, not a promise about any real visit, which the VA and the treating facility handle case by case.
Where to go next
Crisis care is healthcare, and it is separate from the claims process. If you later want to connect a mental health condition to your service, our VA mental health claims guide explains that path. To get into the broader VA health care system, see the health care enrollment guide. If housing is part of the crisis, our homeless veteran housing programs guide lists the 24/7 call center and the programs behind it. Look up any term in the glossary, and see what your state adds on the VA benefits page. VeteranHQ shares these facts and helps you organize your records. We are not a crisis service. If you are in danger, call 988 and select 1, or go to the nearest emergency room.