Veterans Will Be Eligible for Free Emergency Mental Care Starting Next Week

For Michael Davis, an Air Force veteran, anxiety depression and PTSD are feelings that have become all too familiar.

Following his service, Davis found himself homeless where he said he experienced some of the darkest times of his life.

“I was in all this pain and I had all these injuries in my body,” said Davis. “I was dealing with that and just feeling like things had ended for me, like nobody cared. So I did that for a year or so before I actually made my first attempt [at committing suicide].”

It wasn't until after his second attempt that he decided to seek help but he struggled to get through to someone. 

“Here I was, a veteran, right then feeling suicidal, ready to do it and I thought I would call for help and nobody would help,” said Davis.

Thankfully, Davis finally got through to a live line operator. But he wishes the process would've been easier.

That is exactly what the U.S. military is doing now. It's making it easier for veterans in a mental health crisis to get emergency medical care at no cost.

Unlike most other medical benefits, under the new policy, veterans don't have to be enrolled in the VA system. The new policy makes more than 18 million veterans in the U.S. eligible.

“We have an issue that we need a lot of people to cover, so yeah, I think it's a great idea,” said Davis.

The new policy covers up to 30 days of inpatient care, and up to 90 days of follow-up care once released. The VA already provides emergency mental health care but the new policy means veterans will have zero copays or fees for those services.

Davis, now an advocate himself for mental health resources, says he hopes the policy helps prevent any more lives lost.

“It’s one of the most deadly things in our country and people don't even realize it,” said Davis.

The VA says more than 6,000 veterans died by suicide in 2020.