Would a Government Shutdown Affect Your Medicare?

Congress averted a government shutdown March 14 as the Senate passed a spending bill that finances federal operations through the rest of the 2025 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Most agencies will be funded at the previous fiscal year's levels.

But even if a shutdown had occurred — or if one occurs in the future — there is some good news for older Americans: Your Medicare benefits would not be affected.

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

That means the more than 68 million Americans who get their health care through the Medicare program can still go to the doctor, get hospital care and fill their prescriptions for medications without interruption, even if regular federal spending lapses. 

But there could be some lag in services. The shutdown plan for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS) says 51 percent of the agency's staff would be furloughed. That means people who need help from a Medicare representative could, for example, encounter longer wait times when contacting the Medicare hotline (800-633-4227), even though it would continue to operate. In addition, providers waiting for payment could see a lag, and other administrative services could be curtailed.

Enrolling in Medicare

People who are about to turn 65 or have a disability that qualifies them for Medicare can still apply for the program during a shutdown.

While the Medicare program is run by CMS, the Social Security Administration (SSA) handles enrollment, and applications for enrollment would continue to be available at the Social Security website during a shutdown. The SSA is also responsible for automatically taking an enrollee’s Part B premium out of their monthly benefit payment, and that would continue. Medicare Part B pays for doctor visits and other outpatient services.

The SSA is also responsible for administering Medicare cards and says that during a shutdown it would not be able to replace lost Medicare cards. That shouldn’t impact a beneficiary’s ability to get medical care, since their enrollment information would be available to them and providers at Medicare.gov.