Hundreds of stakeholders urge Congress to make HSA telehealth provision permanent

Virtual counseling with a doctor during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Adobe Stock

More than 300 organizations recently sent a letter to congressional leaders, encouraging them to make permanent a provision that allows employers to offer telehealth services below the deductible to employees with a Health Savings Account. More than 8 in 10 employers intend to offer employees and their dependents access to lower- or no-cost mental health support through their tele-mental health provider this year, the letter said.

“This access is critical to supporting employee and family mental health needs and contributes to the call by nearly all employers to make permanent this important provision,” it said. “Without permanent flexibility, employees will face higher out-of-pocket costs to access this care, creating another barrier to necessary treatment.”