In short: Effective January 1, 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025) classifies Direct Primary Care memberships up to $150/month per individual as qualified medical expenses for HSA purposes. New Essence Health’s $150/month membership fits within this limit, provided you also maintain a qualifying High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).
The short answer
Starting January 1, 2026, you can pay for a Direct Primary Care membership with pre-tax Health Savings Account (HSA) dollars — as long as the membership costs no more than $150 per month per individual (or $300/month for family memberships) and you maintain enrollment in a qualifying High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). This is a change from prior IRS guidance, which had actually treated DPC fees as disqualifying a person from HSA eligibility altogether in some interpretations. The rule change comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025.
Do New Essence Health memberships qualify?
New Essence Health’s $150/month membership fits within the federal limit, so many members may be able to use HSA funds toward their membership. See full plan details on the [Membership page].
What you need in place before using HSA funds?
- An open HSA account — typically through your employer’s benefits administrator or a bank/brokerage HSA custodian.
- A qualifying High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) running alongside your DPC membership. HSA eligibility is tied to HDHP enrollment, not to the DPC membership alone.
- Documentation of your membership fee — New Essence Health can provide a receipt or membership agreement showing the monthly amount, which your HSA administrator may request for reimbursement or substantiation.
How do I actually pay?
Depending on your HSA administrator, you can typically either (a) pay New Essence Health directly with your HSA debit card, or (b) pay out of pocket and submit a reimbursement claim to your HSA administrator with documentation of the membership charge. We recommend confirming your administrator’s preferred process before your first billing cycle.
A word of caution
Tax rules are specific to your individual situation, and HSA administrators can vary in how they implement this new rule in their first year. We recommend confirming your specific eligibility with your HSA plan administrator or a tax professional before assuming reimbursement — this article is educational information, not tax advice. New Essence Health is happy to provide any documentation your HSA administrator needs to support your claim.
Why this matters?
Before this rule change, most DPC members paid their membership fully out of pocket, on top of HDHP premiums paid with HSA-eligible pre-tax dollars. Now, for the first time, the membership fee itself can also be paid with pre-tax HSA dollars — meaningfully lowering the effective cost of unhurried, direct-access primary care for HSA holders in Georgia and nationwide.
