The VA is considering a new policy that would reduce copayment for certain medications for veterans deemed to be at high risk for suicide by a VA clinician. (Photo: Olga DeLawrence)
The Department of Veterans Affairs last week announced that veterans identified as high risk for suicide by a VA clinician will no longer be required to pay a copayment for outpatient mental health treatment if a newly proposed policy is adopted by the VA after public review.
Additionally, copayments for medications prescribed to veterans at high risk for suicide will be reduced and medications associated with overdosing will be prescribed in smaller amounts to limit overdose risk. In an example given by the VA, caregivers would “prescribe a seven-day supply of medication with four refills rather than prescribing one 30-day supply of the medication.”
Currently, veterans have to pay either a $15 or $50 copayment per mental health visit regardless of their risk for suicide. As of yet, the VA has not commented on how significant the copayment reduction would be for medications.
Research shows increased frequency of outpatient mental health encounters for high-risk Veterans reduces their risk of suicide.” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said. “Through these efforts, VA will continue to address this national public health crisis by further eliminating financial burdens on veterans which may negatively influence their engagement in mental health treatment and their critical medication availability.”
The proposed policy is currently awaiting public feedback via the Federal Register through March 7, 2022. Readers can view the entire policy change proposal here. Additionally, free resources on veteran suicide prevention can be found here.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
