THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

Veterans Interoperability Pledge (Feb 2025) identified and contacted 140,000 at-risk Veterans, 40% not recently in VA care

True

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The Interoperability Pledge was launched in Feb 2025 and VA reports it has identified/contacted 140,000 at-risk Veterans, with 40% not recently using VA services.

Source summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs released its National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report with data through 2023, reporting 6,398 Veteran suicides in 2023 (down from 6,442 in 2022) and a slight drop in average daily suicides to 17.5. The report notes 61% of Veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA health care in the prior year, small increases in suicide rates per 100,000 for both men and women, and elevated risk among ages 18–34 and those experiencing homelessness, health problems or pain. VA outlined prevention efforts and program metrics, including outreach that enrolled ~33,000 previously unenrolled Veterans, identification of 140,000 at‑risk Veterans through an interoperability pledge, 1.3 million crisis-line contacts in FY2025, and expanded screening and grant programs.
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Latest fact check

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that in February 2025 it partnered with several civilian health care providers to launch the Veterans Interoperability Pledge and that the effort "has helped VA identify and contact 140,000 at‑risk Veterans, 40% of whom had not recently been to VA." The numbers and timing are reported in VA's official press release of Feb 5, 2026 and are consistent with other VA materials describing the Pledge and its pilot milestones. Verdict: True — the claim matches VA's official reporting (VA is the primary source for these figures).

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Feb 06, 2026, 05:35 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that in February 2025 it partnered with several civilian health care providers to launch the Veterans Interoperability Pledge and that the effort "has helped VA identify and contact 140,000 at‑risk Veterans, 40% of whom had not recently been to VA." The numbers and timing are reported in VA's official press release of Feb 5, 2026 and are consistent with other VA materials describing the Pledge and its pilot milestones. Verdict: True — the claim matches VA's official reporting (VA is the primary source for these figures).
  2. Update · Feb 06, 2026, 04:48 AMTrue
    The claim is supported by official VA documentation. A Department of Veterans Affairs press release (Feb 5, 2026) states that VA ‘‘teamed with several large civilian health care providers in February 2025 to launch the Veterans Interoperability Pledge’’ and that ‘‘this effort has helped VA identify and contact 140,000 at‑risk Veterans, 40% of whom had not recently been to VA.’’ VA’s dedicated Veteran Interoperability Pledge page also describes the initiative and participating partners. Verdict: True — VA’s official communications confirm the February 2025 launch and the reported outreach numbers as stated.
  3. Original article · Feb 05, 2026
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