Last reviewed June 2026

Can my HSA-eligible health plan cover telehealth before I meet the deductible?

Short answer: Yes, and it is now permanent. Federal law lets a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) pay for telehealth and other remote-care services before you meet the deductible without making you ineligible to contribute to a Health Savings Account. A temporary pandemic-era rule was made permanent under the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Normally, an HSA-eligible HDHP cannot pay for most care until you meet the deductible, or you lose the right to contribute to your HSA. Telehealth is now a carved-out exception. The One Big Beautiful Bill made permanent the ability to receive telehealth and other remote care services before meeting the high-deductible health plan (HDHP) deductible while remaining eligible to contribute to an HSA, effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2025.

The tax code now lists telehealth among the other permitted coverage, treating dental care, vision care, long-term care, or telehealth and other remote care as coverage that does not disqualify you from HSA contributions. So a plan can offer first-dollar telehealth (no deductible) and you can still fund your HSA. Whether a given plan actually offers pre-deductible telehealth is up to the plan, so check your benefits.

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Topic: Telehealth