Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 (COMPACT)

Starting on January 17, Veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any health care facility, at VA or in the community, for free emergency health care – including transportation costs – and receive inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days, and outpatient care for up to 90 days, including social work.

This could increase access to acute suicide care to an additional 9 million unenrolled Veterans and reduce the number of Veteran suicides by offering immediate care when they are most vulnerable.

COMPACT-eligible individuals, regardless of VA enrollment status, are:

• Those who were discharged or released from active duty after more than 24 months of active service under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces, including reserve service members, who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation either directly or by operating an unmanned aerial vehicle from another location who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces who were the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment while serving in the armed forces.

For more information, visit Emergency Medical Care - Community Care (va.gov).