How the CARES Act helps create telehealth clarity

Is a $0 visit fee telehealth service considered significant care? Regulators have not answered this question, although millions of Americans have access to telehealth and HDHP plans.

Given everything going on, it’s time for some good news. The recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has clarified that a $0-visit-fee telehealth service is now valid alongside an HSA-qualified plan.

This has been a much-debated question in recent years, as it had not been previously codified into law or specifically allowed or disallowed by regulators. In fact, it’s one of the most-common questions we get from brokers and employers.