Congress is expected to vote this week on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (CAA 2023), which would serve to fund the federal government for a full year. Included in the bill is a two-year extension that would allow high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to waive the deductible for telehealth and other remote care services without causing plan participants to lose the ability to contribute to a health savings account (HSA).

Previously, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided a temporary safe harbor that allowed HDHPs to cover telehealth and remote care services without meeting the deductible for plan years beginning on or before December 31, 2021. Subsequent legislation extended the telehealth exception for the time period beginning March 31, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022. Unless this legislation is passed, beginning January 1, 2023, telehealth services will be subject to the HDHP deductible.

If passed, additional details on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 will be provided.