New House bill would expand HSAs to help workers pay for direct primary care

By Allison Bell | Originally posted on BenefitsPro

A lawmaker has brought back a frequently introduced bill that could help workers use their health savings accounts to pay for direct primary care — and this time it might have a decent chance to become law.

Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., has introduced a version of the Primary Care Enhancement Act for the 119th Congress.

Workers can already use their HSAs to pay fees for specific doctors’ services. The new bill would let HSA holders get access to new types of medical practices that cut out insurers and help physicians even out cash flow. The practices charge what amount to pay for monthly, quarterly or annual membership dues.

The bill would let workers use HSA money to pay these periodic fees needed to pay for a membership in a "concierge" medical practice patient group or other direct-pay medical practice patient group.

The new version of the bill is the latest in a long line of bills that Smucker and colleagues have been introducing since 2015. But the bill now appears to have a stronger chance to move forward.