U.S. Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) led a bipartisan call for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to expand the list of services and treatments for chronic diseases covered under an employer-sponsored high-deductible health plan (HDHP).
“Chronic diseases are among the 10 leading causes of death in the United States. Americans continue to face rising health care costs due to the high prevalence of chronic disease, with out-of-pocket healthcare costs alone increasing by over 7 percent in 2024,” wrote the lawmakers, along with U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), in an April 17 letter sent to IRS Acting Commissioner Gary A. Shapley, Jr. “These cost increases pose an acute challenge for the more than half of American workers enrolled in a HDHP.”
The lawmakers, who are members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee — which is chaired by Rep. Smith — also pointed out that six in 10 Americans live with at least one chronic disease, and nearly 90 percent of the nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare spending goes toward treating patients with chronic and mental health conditions.
Under IRS Notice 2019-45, HDHPs may provide coverage for high-value chronic disease management services without requiring individuals to first meet a deductible. Such services and treatments currently include items like beta-blockers for patients with congestive heart failure, blood pressure monitors for patients with hypertension, and glucometers for patients with diabetes, among others, according to the letter.
“We ask that you use your authority to make updating Notice 2019-45 a top priority of the agency to expand the list of allowed chronic disease management services,” wrote Reps. Buchanan, Smith, and Panetta. “An expansion of this policy would have a significant impact on millions of Americans and will mark a powerful step toward ending the chronic disease epidemic.”