VA mental health visits mostly timely, but referrals lag

A new watchdog report reveals that while roughly 80 percent of mental health appointments through the VA's Community Care Program are scheduled within the required 30-day window, the department continues to struggle with the initial referral process. The VA Office of Inspector General found that only five of 133 VA medical systems met the seven-day standard for scheduling these appointments, pointing to significant delays in getting veterans connected to care even when the appointments themselves ultimately happen on time.

The Community Care Program allows veterans to receive medical services from private-sector providers when the VA cannot meet certain access standards, with the VA covering the cost. By law, the VA must refer veterans to community care if the wait time for primary or mental health appointments at a VA facility exceeds 20 days or if the drive time is longer than 30 minutes. Once referred, appointments must occur within 30 days to ensure timely access to care. For veterans dealing with mental health challenges, these timelines can be critical, as delays may leave individuals at risk without proper treatment.

The OIG analysis examined community care consults for mental health services from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. During that period, more than 825,000 veterans received mental health treatment either directly from the VA or through 198,000 referrals for community care. For appointments that missed the 30-day requirement, the average wait stretched to 56 days, with scheduling delays consuming much of that window. Inspectors identified several contributing factors, including VA schedulers relying on outdated communication methods like telephone calls and postal mail, providers not being available for the types of appointments veterans needed, and difficulties reaching providers altogether.

Larry Reinkemeyer, assistant inspector general for audits and evaluation, emphasized that process improvements are essential because veterans requiring mental health care represent a particularly vulnerable population. The VA is currently reorganizing its Veterans Health Administration structure, including plans for a new Community Care Hub designed to improve access, track payments more effectively, and standardize the referral process. The department has indicated it is already addressing several OIG recommendations, including adjusting contracts with community care management companies and working with facilities to improve how schedulers communicate with veterans and providers.

For disabled veterans navigating mental health challenges, these findings underscore both progress and persistent gaps in the system. While the majority of appointments do eventually happen within required timeframes, the initial scheduling delays can create dangerous gaps in care for veterans in crisis. The report highlights systemic issues that affect all veterans using community care, but the stakes are particularly high for those with service-connected mental health conditions who depend on consistent, timely access to treatment as part of their overall disability care plan.

Veterans should know that same-day emergency mental health services remain available at all VA medical facilities and private emergency rooms at no cost, even for those not enrolled in VA healthcare. The Emergent Suicide Crisis Benefit under the Compact Act has served a growing number of veterans, helping 15,218 in fiscal 2025 and covering over $109 million in acute suicide crisis care that year. If you are experiencing delays in getting a community care mental health appointment scheduled, contact your VA facility's patient advocate to escalate the issue, and remember that emergency services are always available without cost concerns during a crisis.