Major cell phone carriers have started to adopt a new technology that helps direct callers to the 988 suicide and crisis hotline to help centers based on their physical location rather than their phone number’s area code,

Calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will soon be routed to call centers based on the caller's geographic location -- a process known as "georouting" -- rather than their area code, HHS announced.

In a move that could mean more Americans in crisis get help and get it quickly, federal officials announced Tuesday that major cellphone carriers now have the technology to direct 988 callers to local mental health services based on their location instead of their area code.

The 988 national suicide hotline has started routing calls to answering centers based on the location of the call, the Health and Human Services Department announced Wednesday. Why it matters: Since its launch in 2022,