- Potential benefitPreserves HSA compatibility for plans that cover telehealth without imposing deductibles.
- Potential benefitReduces out-of-pocket costs for patients seeking virtual care, likely boosting telehealth use.
- EmployersEncourages employers and insurers to continue offering or expand telehealth benefits pre-deductible.
Telehealth Expansion Act of 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
This bill (Telehealth Expansion Act of 2025) amends Internal Revenue Code section 223 to make permanent an exemption that allows certain telehealth services to be provided by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) without applying the plan deductible. The change applies to plan years beginning after December 31, 2024.
Progressives emphasize access and equity gains from permanency.
Narrow, low-controversy tax/benefit fix likely to attract bipartisan support, but must clear committee and floor rules.
This bill (Telehealth Expansion Act of 2025) amends Internal Revenue Code section 223 to make permanent an exemption that allows certain telehealth services to be provided by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) without applying the plan deductible.
The change applies to plan years beginning after December 31, 2024.
The statutory edits in the text are brief and focus solely on making that telehealth safe-harbor permanent.
Content is narrow and non-controversial, improving prospects; lack of offsets and need for Senate approval lower standalone chances.
How solid the drafting looks.
Progressives emphasize access and equity gains from permanency.
Who stands to gain, and who may push back.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
- Potential burdenInsurers may face higher utilization costs that could put upward pressure on premiums.
- Potential burdenRemoving deductible incentives may increase low-value or duplicative telehealth visits.
- ConsumersCould erode the consumer cost-sharing discipline central to high-deductible plan design.
Why the argument around this bill splits.
Progressives emphasize access and equity gains from permanency.
Likely broadly supportive because permanently removing deductible barriers increases access, especially for low-income, rural, and underserved patients.
Views it as a pro-access, pro-equity change, though would want monitoring and complementary investments (broadband, parity, mental health).
Generally favorable but cautious; supports expanded telehealth access while seeking guardrails to limit unintended cost increases.
Wants evidence, monitoring, and possible narrow scope or sunset review to assess budgetary effects.
Mixed to skeptical: supports telehealth expansion in principle but opposes permanently altering HDHP design via federal rule.
Worries about HSA/HDHP integrity, cost increases, and federal intrusion into private plan design.
The path through Congress.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Content is narrow and non-controversial, improving prospects; lack of offsets and need for Senate approval lower standalone chances.
- No Congressional Budget Office or cost estimate provided
- Stance of insurers, employers, and HSA advocates unknown
Recent votes on the bill.
No vote history yet
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Go deeper than the headline read.
Progressives emphasize access and equity gains from permanency.
Content is narrow and non-controversial, improving prospects; lack of offsets and need for Senate approval lower standalone chances.
Pro readers get the full perspective split, passage barriers, legislative design review, stakeholder impact map, and lens-based policy tradeoff analysis for Telehealth Expansion Act of 2025.
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.