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.”
The expanded flexibilities for HSA-eligible plans were enacted in 2020 and later extended to the end of 2024.
“Regrettably, Congress failed to address this popular provision, which expired at the end of 2024,” the letter said. “Employers are now required to charge employees more to access telehealth services, creating a barrier to care, including tele-mental health and other specialty care. The nation’s growing mental health crisis demonstrates that Americans need more access to affordable mental and behavioral health services, not less.”
In 2023, three-fourths of large employers named expanding behavioral health care access as an important or very important priority for the next three to five years. Employers want to ensure that their workers can continue to access these services at no or low costs. The latest survey data show that two-thirds of employers view virtual health as having a significant impact on health care in the future.
The letter cited bipartisan support in both houses of Congress for extending the policy. In a December 2022 survey, 78% of employers said the flexibility made it easier to seek out needed health care services and three-fourths said Congress should make the provision permanent.
“Permanent telehealth flexibility is urgent and overdue,” said Katy Johnson, president of the American Benefits Council. “Tele-mental health care services are a popular time- and money-saving option for workers and their families.”
The letter, organized by the Alliance to Fight for Health Care, was sent to majority and minority leaders of both the House and Senate.
“The support for affordable telehealth and tele-mental health is strong,” the letter concluded. “Allowing employers and health plans to continue offering these important services pre-deductible improves affordability and expands access. We laud the bipartisan cosponsors for their work, and we urge Congress to act now to enact legislation that will make permanent this important flexibility.”