Telehealth visits for medical care are qualified medical expenses - pay with HSA funds tax-free. And per IRS Publication 969, a July 2025 law lets high-deductible plans cover telehealth before the deductible without breaking your HSA eligibility.
Keep the receipt; wellness apps that are not medical care do not qualify. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help.
What to do
Common questions
Can I use my HSA for telehealth?
Yes, on both counts people worry about. First, paying: a telehealth visit with a licensed clinician is a qualified medical expense, so you can pay for it with HSA funds tax-free, exactly like an in-person visit - the IRS defines qualified expenses as the costs of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, and a video visit for a medical problem fits squarely. Second, the subtler worry - whether having telehealth coverage breaks your HSA eligibility - has been settled in your favor. IRS Publication 969 notes that under a law signed July 4, 2025, an HSA-eligible person may have coverage for telehealth and other remote care alongside their high-deductible health plan, and a plan does not lose its HDHP status by covering telehealth before the deductible. In plain terms: your plan can now pay for virtual visits from dollar one, and even if yours has not added that yet, paying cash from your HSA is always allowed. The practical notes: keep the receipt or visit summary like any other medical expense, and use the HSA debit card or reimburse yourself later - both are fine. What is not eligible: general wellness apps, coaching, or subscriptions that are not medical care - the expense has to be for diagnosis or treatment of a real condition. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you think through what a visit would cost and whether you need one.
