West OC Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On June 7, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the bipartisan Telehealth Expansion Act, introduced by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and joined by Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV), Adrian Smith (R-NE), and Brad Schneider (D-IL). This legislation would make permanent a waiver created by the CARES Act to allow Americans with Health Savings Accounts (HSA) to access telehealth services without first having to meet their deductible.

“I am proud to see my bipartisan bill, the Telehealth Expansion Act, pass the Ways & Means Committee today,” said Steel. “Over half of all private sector workers are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan. This legislation will make it easier for the majority of Americans to access high quality, affordable health care and reduce expensive emergency room and urgent care visits. Thank you to my colleagues for supporting this commonsense solution to bringing down costs for millions of Americans and their families, especially as inflation continues to be a heavy burden on so many.”

“Telehealth has proven its worth and effectiveness in increasing access to care for millions of Americans living in rural communities. Congress should build on that success to ensure these vulnerable populations can continue to access innovative and lower-cost care. Representatives Steel and Smith’s legislation, the Telehealth Expansion Act of 2023, will allow millions of Americans to continue accessing telehealth before meeting their deductible – an important step in keeping common sense health care tools in place for those who need them,” said Chairman of Ways and Means Committee Jason Smith.

“Telehealth is an essential tool in the health care tool box, especially for individuals who struggle with transportation and access to traditional health care facilities. We need to be making it easier, not harder, for families to use telehealth services. I was proud to see the Ways and Means Committee take a strong step forward in supporting that effort by passing the Telehealth Expansion Act out of committee,” said Lee. “Millions of families who rely on telehealth services have a deadline approaching and we cannot allow it to expire. This bill ensures that Nevadans won’t lose their coverage, and we need to quickly send it to the U.S. Senate and President Biden’s desk."

“Expanding telehealth access is a commonsense way to ensure Americans everywhere access the health care they need,” said Rep. Adrian Smith. “I’m glad the Ways and Means Committee has taken action on Representative Steel’s legislation to make first dollar coverage for telehealth services permanent.”

Background

 

The CARES Act, signed into law in March 2020, allowed HSA-qualified high-deductible health plans to cover telehealth services before reaching the deductible, and allowed individuals to choose and purchase the use of telehealth services outside their high-deductible health plan, without impacting their eligibility for an HSA.

Approximately 5.09 million people in California are covered by an HSA. By the end of 2025, industry leaders predict the HSA market will approach 43 million accounts nationwide.

Representative Steel advocated for an extension of the waiver, which was included in the FY22 and FY23 funding bill. The policy expires December 31, 2024. The Telehealth Expansion Act would make this flexibility permanent.

The Telehealth Expansion Act is supported by Orange County Business Council, National Association of Benefits & Insurance Professionals Orange County Chapter, ABA Health Savings Account Council, Alliance for Connected Care, Alliance to Fight for Health Care, American Benefits Council, American Telemedicine Association, Americans for Prosperity, America's Health Insurance Plans, Business Group on Health, Corporate Health Care Coalition, Health Innovation Alliance, Healthcare Leadership Council, Included Health, National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, National Retail Federation, National Taxpayers Union, 98point6, Noom, One Medical, Partnership for Employer-Sponsored Coverage, Partnership to Advance Virtual Care, Providence, Society for Human Resource Management, Teladoc, The ERISA Industry Committee, Transcarent, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Americans for Prosperity, and Corporate Health Care Coalition.

Read the full text of the bill here.

Health 

Original source can be found here.