By the Numbers 4 May 2026

By the Numbers 4 May 2026

600,000+

The number of referrals for behavioral health care in the VA health system received by veterans from 2021 through 2024. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report -- Veterans Community Care Program: Information on Behavioral Health Referrals, Fiscal Years 2021 Through 2024 -- "More than half of these referrals were for outpatient therapy."

This Q&A report provides information on the referrals veterans received, including the care for which they were referred, and how much VA spent on that care.