Congress locks in tax break for remote doctor visits

What it does

This bill makes permanent a tax rule that allows people with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to use their tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to pay for telehealth services without first meeting their deductible. Currently this exemption is temporary; the bill removes the expiration date so it applies indefinitely to all plan years.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole function is to remove a sunset provision from an existing tax code section, converting a temporary exemption into a permanent one. It is a straightforward extension of an existing tax benefit with no new mechanism or policy innovation.

What the text implies

• Permanent extension removes need for Congress to periodically renew the benefit, reducing legislative friction and making telehealth HSA access a stable feature of the tax code.
• By making the benefit permanent, the bill may increase uptake of telehealth services among HDHP enrollees, as the benefit becomes predictable and not subject to annual expiration risk.
• The amendment applies retroactively to plan years beginning after December 31, 2024, meaning the benefit is effective immediately upon enactment for 2025 plans.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

People enrolled in high-deductible health plans gain permanent, predictable access to tax-advantaged funds for telehealth without meeting their deductible first, lowering the effective cost of remote care and removing uncertainty about annual renewal of the benefit.

Who stands to gain

• telehealth service providers
• health insurance carriers offering HDHPs
• HSA custodians and administrators

Named in the bill

Internal Revenue Code Section 223, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), telehealth services

Where it stands

17 cosponsors: 11 Republicans, 6 Democrats.

• Feb 27, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 27, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

11 lobbying clients named this bill on 16 disclosure filings across 3 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $41,130,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 12 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 92% of bills with at least one filing.

Jodey Arrington, the sponsor, reported $573,000 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $37,710,000 on 2 filings
• Consumer Technology Association — $2,450,000 on 2 filings
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America — $410,000 on 2 filings
• Alliance for Connected Care — $200,000 on 1 filing
• American Benefits Council Obo Alliance to Fight for Health Care — $160,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.