How a Government Shutdown Affects Your Medicare Coverage

A law to fund most of the federal government through Sept. 30, which the president signed Feb. 3, ended the second government shutdown in four months.

Provisions in the measure extend Medicare’s telemedicine coverage, expanded during the pandemic, until Dec. 31, 2027. Telehealth, also called telemedicine, uses the internet, video conferencing and wireless communications to provide health services remotely, removing the need for some in-person doctor visits. 

AARP and other organizations continue to urge Congress to pass a separate bill to permanently finance the coverage. Otherwise in any shutdown, most Medicare benefits for older and disabled Americans are not disrupted.

Medicare doesn’t depend on budget process

Unlike most government services, which rely on Congress to appropriate money for them to operate each year, some vital programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, are paid for under a category called “mandatory spending.” 

That means the nearly 70 million Americans who get their health care through Medicare are still able to go to the doctor, get hospital care and fill their prescriptions for medications without interruption, even when regular federal spending lapses. 

But about half the agency’s staff gets put on leave

Yet Medicare beneficiaries do face some lag in services during a shutdown.

A 2025 shutdown plan for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said a little less than half of the agency’s staff were furloughed.

Fewer workers mean people who need help from a Medicare representative could encounter longer wait times when contacting the Medicare hotline at 800-633-4227, even though it continues to operate. In addition, providers waiting for payment see delays, and other administrative services may be curtailed.